The British Medical Association is the trade union and professional body for doctors and medical students in the UK. As part of ongoing work undertaken by the BMA to improve the working lives of doctors and medical students, we are currently conducting a Freedom of Information request to all NHS Trusts/Health Boards in the UK to better understand the support and accommodations offered to disabled doctors and medical students.
We would therefore be grateful if you could reply to the following questions within 20 working days:
1. Sickness absence
The Bradford factor is a formula used by HR departments to calculate the impact of employees’ absences on an organisation.
Q1. Does your Trust/Board use Bradford Factor scoring as part of monitoring sickness absence?
Q2: Does your Trust/Board’s sickness absence policy include a threshold at which sickness absence triggers performance management action?
-If yes, what is the threshold? (either days absent or, if used, Bradford Factor score)
Q3: Does your Trust/Board’s record disability-related absence separately from sickness absence?
2. Disability Leave
Disability leave is a period of time off work for a reason related to an employee's disability; for example, to attend hospital appointments or to receive treatment, usually agreed in advance.
Q4: Does your Trust/Board have a disability leave policy?
-If yes, please provide a link to/copy of the policy.
Q5: Does your Trust/Board offer paid disability leave?
3. Championing disability
Disability champions are people in roles that provide a personal lead and commitment to championing accessibility and opportunity for disabled people within their organisation.
Q6: Does your Trust/Board have the following available to doctors and medical students:
- A disabled staff/student network
- A disability champion at a senior/Board level *
- Disability advocates/champions with lived experience
Q7: Do you have anyone who is employed in a paid role specifically to ensure that disabled doctors receive workplace support?
- If yes, please provide a brief description of the job role
4. Reasonable adjustments process
Q8: Does your Trust/Board have a reasonable adjustments policy?
-If yes, please provide a link/copy
Q9: Does your Trust/Board have a centralised budget for making workplace adjustments for disabled doctors/medical students?
Q10: Does your Trust/Board have a single point of contact/centralised process for disabled doctors/medical students to request reasonable adjustments?
-If no, please provide brief details of how individual employees can make requests for adjustments (e.g. via their line manager)
