About us

Occupational Health is a specialist branch of healthcare focussing on the health of employees in the workplace. At the University of Glasgow we are fortunate to have an in-house occupational health unit offering services to our staff and students.

What is Occupational Health?

Occupational health plays a vital role in promoting and maintaining the health and wellbeing of employees and eligible students. The key functions of occupational health are:

  • Promotion and maintenance of health and well-being
    • A primary function of occupational health is to ensure a positive relationship between and employee’s work and their health. This involves proactive measures to promote overall wellbeing and prevent health matters related to the workplace.
  • Clinical Support and Risk Recognition
    • Occupational health professionals can provide clinical expertise to support recognition of health risks associated in the workplace, they support assessing the severity of the risks and potential impact on employee health, considering both physical and psychological factors.
  • Assessment of physical and psychological Capability
    • Occupational health evaluates employee physical and psychological capability to perform job tasks safely and effectively. This assessment assists in identifying any limitations or requirements for recommended adjustments to ensure tasks can be completed without risking health or safety. It is the role of occupational health to offer guidance, and ultimately the role of the University to determine the practicality of reasonable adjustments.
  • Health Surveillance
    • Occupational health may advise on the requirement to develop and implement systems for detecting early signs of work-related ill-health, this is known as health surveillance. Your area manager/safety advisor is responsible for conducting risk assessments, the role of occupational health is to offer guidance for the inclusion into surveillance programmes.

Overall, occupational health is a resource for both employees and the University in promoting a health and safe work environment. Occupational health does not work in isolation and is only part of the People and Organisational Development team, with links to Safety and Environmental Protection teams.

Visiting Occupational Health

Getting here

There are 2 underground stations close by: Kelvinbridge and Hillhead

The closest railway station is Partick.

The surrounding area is serviced by many buses; however, you should expect to walk from the main walkways to occupational health.

If travelling by car there is on street metered parking, the area is serviced by university car parks but there are none dedicated to occupational health. You can plan your journey using Traveline Scotland: Traveline Scotland |

Building Information:

Occupational health is located between Classics and School of Nursing at 63 Oakfield Avenue, across from Hillhead High School. There are steps at the entry to the building, If the front door is locked, please ring the bell, and staff will open the main door.

Use the University's Room Finder for directions to Occupational Health.

Arrival
On arrival, please report to reception, who will book you as having arrived for your appointment, this informs the clinician that you have arrived.

Waiting Area
There is a waiting area on the ground floor

Disabled Access
There is disabled parking behind the building in the car park, however, as with all University car parks, this is subject to availability, which occupational health has no control over.

There is no disabled access to occupational health, and should you require an appointment to be scheduled in a building at ground level, please contact occupational health to advise, and we shall arrange an appointment in the Barclay Medical Practice, on campus.

Appointment Information

Changing/Cancelling Appointment
If you are unable to attend a scheduled appointment or wish to reschedule, kindly contact us as far in advance as possible. This provides an opportunity to offer this appointment to other service users.

If you do not attend or reschedule an appointment for an occupational health referral, the referring manager and P&OD Business Partner shall be notified.

Accompaniment by others
If you feel you would benefit from someone accompanying you to your appointment, they are welcome to wait in the waiting area or accompany you into your appointment.

Professional Standards and confidentiality
Occupational health clinicians are bound by a strict code of conduct including confidentiality, accountability, and consent. Full details are available on our professional standards and confidentiality page.