# Occupational health assessment costs: referrals, reports and who pays https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/ Publisher: Med Easy Source material checked: 2026-10-20 Editorial information; no registered-clinician review is claimed. General UK healthcare information. Country-specific rules and provider examples retain the limits stated in the text. Fees are dated examples, not live quotes. ## Short answer An occupational health quote must name the work question, assessment format and report scope. Work Doctor advertised a £295 remote management referral with report and action plan on 20 October 2026. Check your employer’s existing arrangement and the payer first; face-to-face assessments, certificates, surveillance and later meetings can require different quotes. Occupational health looks at the relationship between health and work. Before paying for an assessment, establish the work question, the intended report recipient and whether your employer already has an arrangement. ## Key points - Check the employer’s referral and payment arrangements before self-booking. - A management referral is different from a certificate or surveillance programme. - Understand consent, report recipients and the cost of later clarification. ## A published price for a specific management referral Checked on 20 October 2026, Work Doctor Occupational Health advertised a £295 remote management referral assessment , including a report and action plan. Face-to-face assessments and complex referrals require a separate quote; case conferences are also separately priced. This is one provider’s published service fee, not a national average or an estimate for every workplace medical. When requesting a quote, state whether you are an employer arranging a referral or an individual enquiring about access. Confirm that the service accepts the proposed booking route and that the intended recipient will find its report suitable. A general occupational health label does not establish that a particular certificate, industry medical or follow-up meeting is included. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#a-published-price-for-a-specific-management-referral - [Work Doctor Occupational Health](https://workdoctoroh.co.uk/services/management-referrals/) ## Define the job question before buying the appointment HSE’s overview distinguishes how work can affect health from how someone’s health affects their ability to do a job. A useful referral therefore includes the actual duties and working environment, rather than only a job title. Describe physical tasks, hours, travel, equipment and any proposed changes that the clinician should understand. Agree the questions the report needs to address: for example, practical adjustments, a return-to-work discussion or whether more information is needed. An occupational health opinion does not replace treatment by a GP or specialist. Keep those clinical appointments separate from the workplace question so that buying a work report is not mistaken for arranging ongoing diagnosis, prescriptions or treatment. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#define-the-job-question-before-buying-the-appointment - [HSE’s overview](https://www.hse.gov.uk/health-surveillance/occupational-health/index.htm) ## Find the existing route and establish the payer Acas explains that employers may use their own occupational health service or an external provider. Ask a manager, HR contact or the organisation’s published policy which arrangement applies before making a private booking. Check who authorises the referral, who receives the invoice and whether you need to use a contracted provider. If arranging something yourself, obtain written confirmation of whether any cost will be reimbursed and which report is required. Do not assume that an NHS GP referral funds a workplace report. NHS clinical care and an employer’s occupational health arrangement have different purposes. Arrangements also depend on the organisation and UK nation; Acas and HSE guidance concerns Great Britain, so check the appropriate Northern Ireland guidance for that jurisdiction. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#find-the-existing-route-and-establish-the-payer - [Acas explains](https://www.acas.org.uk/using-occupational-health-at-work) ## Understand consent and the route for sharing the report Acas’s assessment guidance explains that the employee must agree to an occupational health assessment and that permission is needed before its report is shared with the employer. Ask the provider to explain its process, who will see the report and how a request to obtain information from another clinician is handled. Discuss how you receive the report, how factual errors can be raised and where confidential information is stored. Clarify any deadlines for responding rather than relying on an assumption about when release occurs. Keep detailed medical documents within the provider’s agreed secure route. A useful booking conversation makes the purpose and recipients clear before personal information starts moving between a worker, clinician and organisation. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#understand-consent-and-the-route-for-sharing-the-report - [Acas’s assessment guidance](https://www.acas.org.uk/using-occupational-health-at-work/using-occupational-health-to-help-someone-at-work) ## Separate a referral from surveillance or a certificate HSE describes health surveillance as repeated checks linked to particular workplace health risks, and distinguishes it from general screening. A one-off management referral should not be treated as a replacement for an employer’s hazard-specific surveillance arrangements. Likewise, a generic consultation does not establish that a named industry certificate will be issued. Send the required certificate specification or service description to the provider before payment. Ask who is qualified to complete it, whether examination or testing is required and whether a remote appointment is suitable. When comparing quotes for a workforce, clarify travel, minimum booking numbers, cancelled attendance and report administration. Keep the scope written down so a low consultation figure is not mistaken for a complete occupational health programme. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#separate-a-referral-from-surveillance-or-a-certificate - [HSE describes health surveillance](https://www.hse.gov.uk/health-surveillance/overview.htm) ## Budget for what happens after the report Ask whether the first fee includes a discussion of the report, answers to clarification questions and any planned review. Separate further assessment, an employer meeting, another medical opinion and ongoing case management in the estimate. Confirm how additional work is approved and billed, including whether quoted amounts include any applicable VAT. Do not assume every occupational health service has the same tax treatment. After the report, agree who will discuss its recommendations and when the next workplace conversation will happen. Record actions, owners and review dates rather than treating the document as the end of the process. Use our appointment preparation guide to organise questions and the cost checklist to compare equivalent written scopes. A report informs decisions; purchasing it does not guarantee a particular employment outcome. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#budget-for-what-happens-after-the-report - [appointment preparation guide](https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/prepare-for-healthcare-appointment/) - [cost checklist](https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-healthcare-cost-checklist/) ## Questions to ask - What work-related questions should this assessment answer? - Who authorises the booking and pays the invoice? - Does the fee include the report and any clarification discussion? - How will consent, report access and factual corrections be handled? - Which reviews, meetings, travel charges or taxes remain outside the quote? ## Frequently asked questions ### Should I pay for my own occupational health referral? First check the workplace policy and ask whether an employer-funded or contracted service is available. If you plan to self-book, confirm that the provider accepts that route and the intended report recipient will use it. Obtain any reimbursement agreement in writing before committing to payment. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#faq-1 ### Is occupational health the same as a private GP appointment? The services have different purposes. Occupational health considers health in relation to the actual job and workplace. A clinical consultation may assess or treat a health concern. Ask what the proposed appointment will produce; a work report does not itself arrange ongoing medical treatment. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#faq-2 ### Does the advertised fee cover a return-to-work meeting? Do not assume so. Ask whether the fee covers only assessment and the written report, or also questions and a later meeting. Further review or case-management work can be separately priced. Agree who authorises that extra work and whether the estimate includes applicable taxes. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-occupational-health-assessment-costs/#faq-3 ## Sources - [Work Doctor Occupational Health: management referral fees](https://workdoctoroh.co.uk/services/management-referrals/) — Provider or specialist organisation - [Acas: using occupational health at work](https://www.acas.org.uk/using-occupational-health-at-work) — NHS or public authority - [Acas: occupational health assessments and consent](https://www.acas.org.uk/using-occupational-health-at-work/using-occupational-health-to-help-someone-at-work) — NHS or public authority - [HSE: occupational health overview](https://www.hse.gov.uk/health-surveillance/occupational-health/index.htm) — NHS or public authority - [HSE: health surveillance](https://www.hse.gov.uk/health-surveillance/overview.htm) — NHS or public authority ## Related guides - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/prepare-for-healthcare-appointment/ - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-healthcare-cost-checklist/ - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-gp-referral-and-prescription-costs/