What is pre-placement health screening and why is it important?

Firstly, what is pre-placement health screening?

Pre-placement health screening is an assessment carried out before a new employee starts work. Its purpose is to determine whether the individual is medically fit to perform the duties of their role effectively. It also helps identify any workplace adjustments that may be needed to support their health and wellbeing from the very start of their employment.

What does pre-placement health screening involvee?

Medigold Health’s pre-placement health screening involves the prospective employee completing a secure, online health questionnaire. The questionnaire can be accessed from any internet-enabled device and is designed to capture all relevant health information efficiently, reducing the need for unnecessary follow-up.

Once they have submitted their questionnaire, the prospective employee’s responses are reviewed by one of our occupational health nurses, to determine whether further assessment is needed. If a health issue has been disclosed, the nurse may conduct a telephone consultation with the individual to clarify the information provided, before issuing a fitness certificate.

This certificate will provide recommendations on any adjustments that the employer should consider to support the employee in their role and help them manage their health effectively.

New-starter medicals

Alongside pre-placement health screening, we can also carry out new starter medicals for candidates who will be employed in safety critical roles, or whose work may expose them to specific hazards (such as noise, vibration or hazardous substances), meaning that they need to be included in a programme of ongoing health surveillance.

During these medicals, relevant health checks will be conducted to:

• Determine whether the individual is physically and medically capable of performing their duties safely.
• Identify any work restrictions that should be considered.
• Establish a baseline against which future health surveillance results can be compared, helping monitor the long-term effects of workplace exposures.

Following these checks, a fitness outcome report is usually provided within 24–48 hours, ensuring a fast, efficient and user-friendly process for both employers and candidates.

When should pre-placement screening take place?

Pre-placement health screening should take place after an offer of employment has been made but before the new employee starts in post.

It is beneficial for all roles, helping to identify any reasonable adjustments that may be needed to support employees with existing health conditions or disabilities. Taking this proactive approach supports inclusion, reduces the risk of future sickness absence and helps ensure employees can perform effectively from day one.

New starter and fit-to-work medicals are usually only required for roles where health and safety risks are higher. Examples include:

• Construction, transport, rail, aviation and offshore work, where an employee’s state of health could directly affect their own and others’ safety .
• Healthcare and laboratory roles, where staff may be exposed to a risk of infection.
• Roles involving risk of exposure to physical, chemical or biological hazards, to enable effective ongoing monitoring of any potential impact on employee health.

Many industries build new starter and fit-to-work medicals into their regulatory or best-practice frameworks to help ensure worker and public safety and compliance with workplace health legislation. Again, these medicals should be carried out after a conditional offer of employment has been made but before the individual starts work.

Why acting on pre-placement screening recommendations matters

The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities or health conditions. While pre-placement health screening isn’t a legal requirement, it can help support compliance with the Act by providing organisations with access to expert clinical advice on whether adjustments may be needed.

If a health screen identifies a need for workplace adjustments, it’s important that employers consider any recommendations carefully and implement appropriate measures, where possible, to ensure they meet their legal obligations.

Beyond compliance, pre-placement health screening also enables employers to:

• Demonstrate their commitment to employee wellbeing.
• Minimise the likelihood of future sickness absence and associated costs.
• Proactively manage and support employee health from the outset.