Management Referrals

 Pandemic - Management Referral Advice for Managers

Due to the pandemic we have had to modify the way we deliver the management referral aspect of our service.  As we now move into our recovery phase we will be gradually increasing our management referral capacity again however, we do need to ensure priority is given to the most essential and appropriate referrals.   We will continue to offer appointments via telephone or Attend Anywhere although face to face assessments may now also be offered where appropriate.

To support our recovery process we would ask that you review the guidance below prior to submitting a referral.  If you would like to discuss a referral prior to submission please contact us by email

1. General Criteria for Referrals -

• Urgent referrals for cases such as terminal illness or other serious illness.
• Consideration of ill health retirement or redeployment. Please ensure that you have discussed this with the employee and HR prior to referral.  Ill health retirement is only applicable if the employee has been superannuated for a minimum of 2 years, they are permanently unfit for work, all options for reasonable adjustments have been considered, and they have exhausted all treatment options and are under their normal pension age.
• Long term absences – 29 days or more for advice on likely return to work and rehabilitation. It is important to note that not all long term absences require referral to Occupational Health at 29 days for example routine surgery where an expected recovery of 6+ weeks has been identified (please also see work related stress guidance and access to counselling service information in section 2).  
• In some (but not all) cases of frequent, short-term sickness absence where there are patterns of absence or there is an underlying health condition adversely affecting health or work is adversely affecting health.
• significant underlying health issues impacting on workplace health
• significant mental health issues e.g. severe anxiety, depression. (Please note staff members who are anxious or stressed  regarding Covid-19 should be directed to the dedicated Covid staff support services)
• To seek advice and support for employees who are on Stage 3 of the Attendance Policy
• Long Covid referrals where absence has reached 8 weeks – please see long Covid HR process

2. If your referral does not fall into the above criteria please see the guidance below –

Return to Work/Phased Returns

If the case is in relation to an imminent return to work then you as line manager should explore the details of this with your member of staff in the first instance.  If there is any concern regarding potential residual symptoms that may impact on their ability to deliver their normal role you may wish to consider whether modified duties may be feasible E.g. a temporary adjustment or restriction duties that the employee would find difficult.

A phased return may also enable a more successful transition back to work. The new NHS Scotland wide policy enables a 4 week phased return on full pay NOT requiring the use of accrued leave. It is also useful to look at breaking up working weeks to reduce the impact of fatigue on return to work e.g. working non-consecutive days and gradually phasing  the staff members hours back up to their contracted hours. In some cases a longer phased return may be beneficial in supporting a return to work and consideration could also be given to utilising any accrued annual leave to further extend a period of reduced hours following the initial 4 week period. Any phased return should be discussed with the employee prior to their return to work and should take into account any modification required to duties.   

Work related Stress

If an employee reports work related stress, the expectation is that the Manager should meet with them to identify the cause of the work-related stress and explore the potential options for addressing or resolving the stressors locally.  If the stressors are as a result of relationship difficulties in the workplace, Mediation may be explored as an option via HR.  A referral to Occupational Health is only indicated, if a health condition is declared or the work-related stress is exacerbating a pre-existing health condition.  If an OHS referral is required, it is important that the manager notes any interventions that have been attempted to date and includes a copy of the stress risk assessment.    Managers should refer to the Stress in the Workplace guidance. 

Access to Occupational Health Physiotherapy and Counselling Services:

If the employee only requires physiotherapy or counselling and there are no other issues impacting on their health & wellbeing in the workplace, then a management referral is not required. 

Employees can self-refer to arrange a counselling appointment on 0141 201 0594

 The self-referral form for Physiotherapy can be accessed via the OH HR Connect site. 

 A number of services have been put in place to support staff in response to Covid -19, more details are available here 

Skin problems 

If an employee is reporting a skin problem which may be caused by or made worse by work (including skin problems affecting the hands) please refer via the usual Skin Health Surveillance process.If urgent advice is required regarding a skin problem please direct the employee to contact Occupational Health by phoning 0141 201 0594 or email the enquiry.

Underlying health conditions in relation to Covid-19

General advice and information relating to Covid including shielding and Covid age risk assessments can be accessed via the dedicated HR connect pages    

If the enquiry is regarding mask/skin issues please refer to Occupational Health Guidance 

If further OH advice is required directly related to Covid-19 please email your enquiry and we will aim to respond as soon as possible. 

If following review of the above guidance you require further information, advice or wish to discuss the suitability of a referral to the Occupational Health Service please email our service. 

The Occupational Health Service provides a management referral service providing support & advice to both the employee and the employer. This service is for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde only. 

All referrals should be completed using the form below and sent to [email protected]

An automated out of office delivery report will be sent once we receive the form. We are unable to respond to specific requests regarding receipt of referral forms. 

Further guidance on completing the management referral form can be found in the Attendance Management section or in the Management & Self-referral to Occupational Health: Guidance for Managers.

Managers can now refer employees to the Alcohol and  Substance Nurse as part of the management referral process. 

Appointments will be carried out by telephone or using the Attend Anywhere video consultation service.

More information regarding the Attend Anywhere service can be found in this Leaflet 

Forms & Leaflets

Management Referral Form (Please save on your PC before sending to OH)

Management Referral Form - Guidance for Completion

Management & Self-Referral to Occupational Health: Guidance for Managers. 

Management Referral Information Leaflet

Attend Anywhere Leaflet

Attend Anywhere Appointments

Should you have an appointment already arranged via Attend Anywhere software, then you may access the virtual waiting area using this link: https://nhsattend.vc/NHSGGCOccHealth.

We suggest using the link a few minutes before your appointment time. Please note that you must use Google Chrome or Apple Safari internet browser.