Completing a medical consent form
The Occupational Health Service (OHS) will send you a medical consent form (if you have not already completed one) so that they can approach your GP, and others involved in your medical care such as consultants, to obtain your relevant medical information.
Medical Consent Form (DOC 179KB)
YPS Employer Ill Health Certificate Active Member (DOC)
Your GP and consultants are busy people and don’t always respond to requests for information and reports in a timely manner. Therefore, it would be helpful if you could talk to your GP and consultant about the referral to OHS, and, ask them to respond to requests for information as soon as possible. It may also help to speed up the process, if you can send copies of any relevant and / or recent medical reports to OHS so that they can be taken into account.
Completing a functional assessment form
You will also be asked to complete a functional assessment form. This is an observational assessment looking at the required skill components needed to perform routine everyday activities.
Once the OHS has received all the information from the GP and consultant(s) and the functional assessment form they may arrange an appointment for you to see them unless you have already had a face-to-face appointment.
If OHS consider you for Ill Health Retirement
The OHS will then review your case and if they consider that IHR is an option, they will then refer your case and medical information to an Independent Registered Medical Practitioner (IRMP). Both OHS Physicians and IRMP’s are doctors who are additionally qualified and must be registered to practice in Occupational Health.
IRMP’s also have to be fully conversant with the rules and regulations of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) as there are strict criteria for Ill Health Retirement. The IRMP will provide their medical opinion in relation to the criteria.
The IRMP will review the paperwork and determine whether or not there is sufficient medical information on which to form a medical opinion and complete the IHR pension certificate.
An Independent Registered Medical Practitioner assesses your case
This stage of the process is normally a paper-based assessment as you will have previously been seen by OHS or you are so seriously ill that you would, in any event, be unable to attend an appointment.
The IRMP will decide whether they need to:
- contact your doctor(s) for more information – and/or
- see you in person to undertake further medical assessments – in this case, you will be asked to attend a medical appointment
The IRMP is required to provide a medical opinion only. It is the employer who makes the decision on IHR and, if approved, the Tier to be awarded.
The IRMP will provide a report setting out their medical opinion and the reasons for it and complete the IHR pension certificate. This report is for pension purposes.
The report and certificate will be sent to your manager and a copy to HR.