Immunisations and vaccinations
Immunisation is an important tool in disease prevention in the workforce. Employees can be protected from illnesses be ensuring they have had the correct vaccinations. Immunisation against flu or during travel protects individuals from common risks. Immunisation can also protect certain individuals following exposure to certain infective agents.
Appropriate vaccination against infectious diseases is a mainstay in preventing the development of infections. For employers, it is necessary to comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, and vaccination is often a part of this provision under the COSHH regulations.
Why Healthwork?
Healthwork is able to provide a wide range of vaccinations. Healthwork has many years of experience in providing vaccinations for individuals including employees and members of the public and of running large scale vaccination programmes for employers. We have worked with large employers such as NHS trusts and private sector employers to organise screenings and mass vaccination programmes for Hepatitis B, varicella, measles, mumps, rubella, TB and seasonal influenza.
Healthwork can provide advice regarding the vaccinations an individual may require for a particular job role, together with administration of the vaccine. We can also work with employers at a strategic level to provide advice regarding the need for vaccination of staff, depending up the nature of job roles.
We can arrange for vaccinations such as the seasonal flu or swine flu vaccinations to be given onsite to employees or to employees and members of the public from our offices in Manchester.
Healthwork staff
Healthworks trained and experienced occupational health staff are able to provide advice and deliver appropriate immunsation and vaccination schedules, backed up by our specialist and experienced Consultant level Occupational Health Physicians.
Wide range of vaccinations
Healthwork offers a full range of immunisations including:
- Flu vaccination
- Hepatitis B
- MMR
- Varicella
- TB
- Yellow fever (Healthork is a UK Yellow Fever centre)
- Hepatitis A
- Typhoid
For more information please call us on 0161 831 9701.
Healthwork can offer a variety of blood tests.
For individuals, we can perform this testing from our offices in Manchester.
For employers, we can organise on-site services performed by one of our visiting nurses.
We adopt a system of identified validated samples (IVS) for all blood samples.
For more information please call us on 0161 831 9701.
Influenza, i.e. the flu, is a virus that can be found in humans. The viruses that cause this illness are highly adaptable and are able to change and adapt regularly to combat changes in medicines and vaccines. Therefore, unlike many diseases, vaccines are often brought out on an annual basis to combat the ‘flu’.
The virus itself is highly contagious and spread by droplets that are produced when a person coughs or sneezes. In most cases, where the infected individual was previously healthy, the illness tends to spontaneously recover within 1-2 weeks although individuals can be very unwell during the course of the infection.
The infection can be caught at work, with a resultant loss in workforce productivity secondary to increased sickness-absence within the workforce compounded by the high infectiveness of these viruses and the chance of onward transmission of the illness to fellow work colleagues. Even in previously well individuals, the symptoms of the illness can be substantial with fever, headaches, widespread joint and muscle pain, and can be complicated by the development of further infections such as pneumonia.
In the workplace, individuals who are vocationally in more front-line roles dealing directly with other clients or members of the public are naturally at increased risk of catching these illnesses.
Healthwork is able to provide a comprehensive range of immunisation services including providing vaccinations for seasonal influenza. Our trained nurses can provide these services either on-site or at our own premises for employees.
For more information on flu vaccinations, please call us on 0161 831 9701.
Healthwork offers a comprehensive travel clinic consultation service and vaccinations for all travel destinations both for leisure or business travel. Assessments and vaccinations are performed by one of our trained nurses.
Our consultations include:
- A 30 minute consultation with a trained nurse.
- General travel advice
- Vaccinations for single travellers and families.
- Plans provided for booster does and repeat vaccinations where needed.
- Every person seen will be issued with a personalised vaccination record.
- We advise your initial appointment should be at least 6 weeks in advance of your travel date.
Please contact Healthwork on 0161 831 9701 to book an appointment.
Healthwork is able to manage all your requirements for drug and alcohol testing. Our occupational health nurses and doctors are fully trained in:
- collection of samples
- analysis of results
- clinical and occupational health management of drug and alcohol cases in the workplace
training - occupational health physician work including medical review officer work
Drug Testing and Screening Services
We can perform drug and alcohol tests either at our offices in central Manchester or on the sites of our clients.
Healthwork performs a 7 drug screening test using a single collection and instant testing system (the 7 Drug Integrated Test Cup). We use the 7 Drug Integrated Test Cup which tests for:
- Amphetamines
- Benzodiazepines
- Cannabis
- Cocaine
- Methadone
- Methamphetamines
- Opiates
All our drug testing procedures follow a strict Chain of Custody path and all our staff are fully trained and conversant with chain of custody procedures. Where a result is positive, the sample will need to be sent to the laboratory for confirmation. Healthwork has arrangements with laboratories for this and during this process strict chain of custody procedures are adhered to. We can perform pre-arranged drug and alcohol testing such as pre-employment or random testing and this makes up the majority of our drug and alcohol work. We can also arrange for ‘for cause’ testing to be performed at short notice.
Alcohol Testing
We offer a Breathalyser Test for Alcohol. Our trained occupational health staff use the AL-600 Alcometer to perform breath alcohol testing.
Drug and Alcohol Policies and Procedures Development
We will work with you to design a Company Specific Drug and Alcohol Policy for your business and we will help you implement it. Our staff will do this by:
- working with management to understand the organisational culture
- understanding the nature and hazards of your business
- creating and helping you implement a new drug and alcohol policy
Training
Chain of Custody Training
We can provide chain of custody and drug/alcohol training to enable you to perform drug testing on site.
Drug and Alcohol Awareness Training
Healthwork has training packages and material available to run training workshops for managers and staff. A typical training course lasts one day and is designed for groups of 10-15 people.
Training is designed to help managers and staff:
- understand the different types of drugs
- identify the signs of potential drug or alcohol misuse
- understand how the testing / screening processes work
- understand support services available and ehabilitation
For more information on any aspect of our drug and alcohol services, please call us on 0161 831 9701.