Please note that Brunel Medical School follows the Higher Education Occupational Physician/Practitioners standards of medical fitness to train. These standards meet the requirements of the UK General Medical Council (GMC) and Department of Health (DH).
Occupational Health
Occupational Health is a specialist field concerned with the effect of health on work, and the effect of work on health.
Students admitted to the MBBS programme are required to obtain Occupational Health clearance. This is to ensure that you are fit for all aspects of the course, identify anyone who will need support in advance, and to decide the most appropriate kind of support. OHWorks is an Occupational Health service responsible for your health clearance. OHWorks will also be responsible for your Occupation Health during your time at university.
Health questionnaire
All offer holders are asked to complete an online health questionnaire. The health questionnaire is the first part of the clearance process and you will not be allowed to enrol on the MBBS programme if you have not completed it.
The questionnaire will be released by OHWorks so please monitor emails and respond immediately to avoid delays with your enrolment on the programme and clearance for clinical placements.
Please note that you have a duty to provide truthful and accurate information to OHWorks. You should declare any health condition or disability that could affect your ability to study or undertake clinical placements. Any failure to do so may result in the offer of a place being withdrawn or reconsideration of your fitness to continue on the programme. The Medical School will make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities.
Vaccinations and blood screening
The second part of the health clearance process is to ensure you have undergone blood screening and received the vaccinations as recommended by the DH. You will not be fully cleared until we are certain that you have had the necessary vaccinations and blood tests.
Please ensure that your vaccination history is recorded with dates of administration. You will need to request your vaccination history from your General Practitioner, doctor or Family Physician. You must provide documentary evidence and upload this information when submitting your health questionnaire. All medical documents, including vaccination records, must be translated into English, date-stamped and certified. Allow time in advance to ensure that this form is returned before the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that this reaches OHWorks by the deadline.
The vaccinations required are the following:
- Hepatitis B
- Tetanus and Polio
- Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) (Tuberculosis/TB)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella)
- Chicken Pox (Varicella Zoster/VZV)
- Diptheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT)
The blood screening tests required are the following:
- Hepatitis B surface Antigen Test
- Hepatitis C Antibody Blood Test
- HIV Antibody Blood Test.
NOTE: These blood tests are to test your immunity levels to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, which are Blood Borne Viruses (BBVs). The results of these tests will determine whether you have clearance to perform Exposure Prone Procedures (EPPs). These blood tests will only be accepted from a verified laboratory in the UK, so students who have not had BBV tests performed in the UK will have these performed during the OHWorks pre-planned clinic once they have enrolled.
OHWorks pre-planned clinic
When you have enrolled on the MBBS programme at Brunel, you will be required to attend a mandatory OHWorks pre-planned clinic on campus to complete your occupational health clearance. At this visit, you may have:
(1) Vaccinations, if the required vaccinations have not been performed or the appropriate documentary evidence has not been submitted and/or
(2) Blood tests for BBVs, if you do not have documentary evidence of tests done in a UK laboratory
(3) Referral to an appropriate professional for further assessment in the event of a health condition or disability
Please note, attendance at this OHWorks pre-planned clinic is essential to ensure you complete OH clearance in accordance with Department of Health (DoH) guidance. If you are unable to attend you must inform the university and OHWorks immediately. Failure to attend may result in delays starting clinical placements and may result in you being withdrawn from the programme.
The vast majority of students are fit for the course and the Medical School is informed. Support and/or reasonable adjustments will be offered as necessary.
Details of vaccination requirements
Hepatitis B
All prospective medical students should have at least two doses prior to starting the course. You will have a busy timetable once you start and it can be difficult to attend appointments for further vaccination. There is also the opportunity to learn phlebotomy skills during the first term and if you are not vaccinated, this may result in you not being able to participate. If you are unable to obtain or complete this schedule of vaccinations prior to starting the programme, this will be done by OHWorks once you have enrolled on the programme.
The preferred course for full protection is 3 vaccinations of Hepatitis B vaccine over a period of six months, with a final blood test after the third dose to check that the vaccination has been successful.
At the OHWorks pre-planned clinic, a full Hepatitis B immunisation history will be confirmed and a blood test taken for Hepatitis B surface antigen and Hepatitis B antibodies.
Diptheria, Pertussis and Tetanus
All students should have a documented history of five doses of DPT vaccine. This is a combination vaccine against diptheria, pertussis and tetanus.
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) (Tuberculosis/TB)
All prospective medical students should have BCG vaccination and will be assessed at the OHWorks pre-planned clinic for documented proof of BCG vaccination or evidence of a visible BCG scar. If you have not had this vaccination in childhood you may be able to obtain this from your General Practitioner / Doctor / Family Physician. If you are not able to source this yourself, you will have this vaccination at the OHWorks pre-planned clinic.
All students who have been living or working overseas for more than 3 months in a country where there is a high prevalence of TB may be required to have additional screening tests.
MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella)
All students should have a documented history of two doses of MMR vaccine, which is usually given in early childhood to prevent the spread of infectious diseases or provide serological evidence of immunity to measles, mumps and rubella from an authenticated laboratory. If you are unsure of your vaccination history, please consult your General Practitioner / Doctor / Family Physician who should be able to provide you with a booster MMR vaccination if necessary.
Chicken Pox (Varicella Zoster/VZV)
If you cannot confirm a history of this disease, you will be required to have a blood test and will be offered vaccination if necessary. Students who have had the disease diagnosed in a tropical country will also require a blood test to confirm immunity.
Other vaccinations
COVID vaccination is no longer mandatory for medical students, although we strongly recommend that you are vaccinated to protect yourself and others.
Influenza vaccination, when available, is also recommended, to protect yourself and others.
If you have any queries, please contact BMS-Admissions@brunel.ac.uk
Data protection information
The health questionnaire forms part of your OH record.
- Records are held securely by OHWorks in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998
- No identifiable medical, or other, information contained in your OH record will be released to anyone else without your consent being obtained.