The University of Manchester Certification of Student Ill Health

CERTIFICATION OF STUDENT ILL HEALTH – GUIDELINES

These guidelines set out the procedures to be followed by students who fall ill and are absent from the University for a brief period and/or who believe their illness may have affected their academic performance. Students are reminded that they must register with a local GP and must visit their GP for treatment of ill health where necessary.

Students should always consult their GP if their illness is severe, if it persists or if they are in any doubt about their health.

1. Self Certification – THIS WILL NORMALLY BE THE USUAL PROCEDURE

(I) You should use self certification to explain absences through illness for up to one week (i.e seven days including the weekend). You should complete Part I of this form to give the exact dates of the absence and a clear explanation of the reason for it. The form should be handed in to the appropriate office or person in the department immediately after the absence.

(II) You should do all you can to inform your department at the time of your illness and to seek advice. Although you may feel too ill to attend classes or you believe your illness is affecting your performance, you may be able to visit your department. You should give this form to your tutor or other appropriate member of staff and they can use Part II to record the advice given to you and/or that you appeared to them to be unfit to perform to your potential.

Repeated self certification will normally result in the student being referred to the university student health service for assessment.

2. Medical Certification

For illness of more than one week
The university will accept self-certification, as above, for illness of up to one week but if you are ill for longer than this you should obtain a consultation with your GP and ask for your illness to be certified using Part III of this form. Copies of this form are available in the local GP practices.

When you visit the GP for treatment or because you are concerned about your health
As stated above, you should always consult your GP if your illness is severe or if you are in any doubt about your health. If you do this you may ask your GP to certify your illness and part III may be used for this purpose. There is a charge of £16.00 for the certificate.

3. Illness prior to/or during Examinations

If you are ill immediately prior to or during examinations you must inform your department immediately and discuss the situation with your personal tutor or other appropriate person in the department. Depending on the circumstances, you may be advised to proceed with the examinations or, instead, to sit the examinations at the next opportunity. You may be asked to self certify your illness using this form and the appropriate person in the department will use part II to record advice given and/or that you appeared to be unfit to perform to your potential. This should be handed in, or posted, to appropriate office or person in the department as soon as possible.

If you are taken ill during an examination, you should be referred to the university student health centre. The doctor or nurse at the student health centre who sees you will, at your request, complete this form and send it to the department to confirm the visit and the ill health.