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dealing with doctors

  • If I am injured at work, should I contact my GP?  more...
  • Do GPs know about work-related health?  more...
  • What is work-related ill health?  more...
  • What should I tell my GP?  more...
  • Should I tell my GP about my previous jobs?  more...
  • What workplace hazards does my GP need to know about?  more...
  • What advice will my GP give me?  more...
  • When should I go back to work?  more...
  • Whose side is my GP on?  more...
  • What about patient confidentiality?  more...
  • Am I allowed time off work to see my doctor?  more...

further information

Keeping well at work, the TUC handbook, describes how a GP might deal with some typical work-related ill health situations:

  • 'Tennis elbow', common among workers who put strain on their forearm muscles and elbow, for example by using hand tools or a computer mouse.
  • Work-related upper limb disorders, including pain and discomfort to the fingers, hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck and upper back.
  • Low back pain, experienced by over two-thirds of adults at some time. GPs are familiar with the condition, but their standards of diagnosis and treatment vary widely.
  • Occupational asthma, and the factors aiding diagnosis.
  • Pregnancy, in particular, how to avoid exposure to chemical hazards at work.
  • Latex allergy caused by rubber protein found in cheaper rubber gloves made from poorly washed latex. Latex allergy can produce severe dermatitis reactions in sensitized individuals.
  • Bullying at work, because for many targets of bullying a GP is the first and chief source of help to discuss the physical and emotional reactions.

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Keeping well at work is available from the TUC online bookshop.P

New and Expectant Mothers at Work: Guide for employers, HSG 122, 1994, available from HSE Books, tel: 01787 881165, price £6.25.

pBooklets in the Family Doctor series are available from pharmacists, supermarkets or direct from Family Doctor Publications, tel: 01295 276627, price £3.50 each. The most relevant titles are:

Understanding Back Pain;

Understanding Asthma;

Understanding Skin Problems;

Understanding Stress;

Understanding Depression;

Understanding Your Bowels;

Understanding Alcohol.