Health requirements

In accordance with national guidelines from the Department of Health for the protection of both patients and healthcare workers including students, all medical students are required to show that they are not infectious carriers of hepatitis B and that they have successfully completed a course of hepatitis B immunisation.

The immunisation process can take up to nine months and applicants are therefore advised to consult their General Practitioner about this at the earliest opportunity. If you find that your General Practitioner is unable to initiate the immunisation process you will be required to undertake this via the Sheffield Occupational Health Service once you have registered on the course. If you are then found to be positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, you will not be permitted to undertake exposure prone procedures (procedures where there is a risk that an injury to the worker may result in the exposure of the patient´s open tissue to the blood of the worker) on the course (this limitation will also apply up to the point that hepatitis B status is known) and there will be restrictions on your clinical practice as a qualified doctor.

The Medical School will accept as documentary proof an authenticated laboratory report showing either the presence of hepatitis B surface antibody, or if antibodies are not developed after a full course of immunisation, that you are negative for hepatitis infectivity. Health screening forms will be sent at a later date to applicants who have firmly accepted an offer of a place.

The Medical School reserves the right to re-test any of its medical students for markers of hepatitis B virus. Screening tests will only be recognised from a United Kingdom accredited laboratory. A negative result from overseas laboratories will be checked when you arrive in Sheffield, and if you are then positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, the restrictions described in the second paragraph will apply.

The Medical School continually reviews the immunisation requirements and procedures for medical students, taking into account national guidance, and you will be required to comply with any such amendments if you are offered a provisional place.

Students who have serious health problems, or who know that they are infected with Hepatitis C or HIV, must disclose this on their UCAS form, as their course may need to be modified to accommodate Department of Health guidance on activities which they may or may not perform. All potential students with significant health problems will be individually assessed for suitability for the course. You will also have to ask your GP to fill in a form documenting your immunisation history.

Students who receive late offers, and have not had sufficient time to complete the vaccination programme, will receive any remaining vaccinations from the Occupational Health Service. Offers to students who have not completed the full vaccination will be confirmed once they have an authorised report stating that they are hepatitis B surface antigen negative.

It is imperative that all procedures outlined above are followed precisely to avoid prejudicing your entry to the course.