 Re: Access to Employment Law within the NHS
This is how it was for me:
When I was working in the NHS and suffering from stress in 2005 I was off for about 6 weeks in all. The GP said I couldn't go back until work had sorted out the problem of what caused the stress in the first place, and only once I was cleared by the Occupational Health woman - who was marvellous, I must say. She wouldn't let me go back to work till she felt I was better, and then she recommended to my manager that I start part-time, and continue to see her to see if everything was going ok. My manager really didn't like me, can't think why, but the consultant I worked for loved me, so I had his backing all the time! I went back part-time, then eventually looked for another job and handed in my notice last summer. I didn't want to be recommended for another job because my consultant was a darling, it was just that our firm had the heaviest workload and no extra help. Due to the intervention of Occy Health, there were certain bits of my job that I was told not to do - but I felt bad about it because guess what? My colleagues had to pick up the slack.... I now work back in the corporate world I vowed I'd never return to LOL. At double the money, might I add.
Previously though, I had had my gallbladder removed in 2002, and they had a girl to cover for me. The surgeon said I should be off six weeks, but after 2 my manager phoned and said the girl covering for me had had a nervous breakdown and couldn't cope (hello?!?!?!) and could I come back; she said she'd let me start part time. Of course what really happened was that I came back to even more work than before I was off, and I was working flat out from 9 to 6.30 at least... In 2005, the Occy Health lady said that should never have happened, and that I should have been seen by them and cleared by them as ready.
Don't know if that helps? | 
