Rank: Forum user 
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Hi everyone,
I have had our workforce complete HAVS initial monitoring questionnaires and the company paid for a external Occ Health Nurse to come in and evaluate those individuals that had indicated on their forms something that needed to be investigated.
The nurse has recommended that 6 individuals need to be seen by an Occ health Doctor for further investigation. Normally, this would not be an issue and they would go through our Occ health provider , but the company is going through a period of austerity and have cut spending to try and keep people in jobs.
I guess what I need to know is, can I ask these individuals to contact their GP for further evaluation?
Thanks
S
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Rank: Super forum user 
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No. The employer cannot delegate his statutory duty to the employee!
This "austerity" is likely to prove entirely counter-productive. More importantly, it's likely the employees will suffer serious and irreversible harm.
You also need to be reviewing your Risk Assessments and exposure data now, and again when you get some objective data from a competent specialist physician.
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Rank: Super forum user
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I agree with Ron, it is an employer’s responsibility. If your company makes them go to their GP I am sure the GP has a duty to act/report it as an occupational injury. Not sure of the exact mechanism but I suspect your company will get a formal letter from them. Long time since I looked at this but the Occ health provider will liaise with the GP regarding treatment/records.
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Rank: Forum user
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Thanks guys. Just as I thought, but I am getting told that we cannot pay for this at the moment.
I have explained that spending this money now will prove beneficial for the future, but the company is in a difficult position just now so I also understand where they are coming from.
S
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Rank: Forum user
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Sharon,
The company will be in an even more difficult position if they end up in court and are fined for ignoring this issue. The fine will probably put them under, if they're in that bad a position, then there'll be no jobs for any of you.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Make that nurse redundant: Problem solved.
If someone does develop an ind-health illness then you're better-off if you had no medical surveillance, since the ms would have noted development of the problem!!
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