Research Passports
A Research Passport is the National Health Services (NHS) procedure to obtain permission for individual researchers from outside organisations to enter NHS placements. The Research Passport is valid for a maximum of three years and may be project specific or cover a number of projects.
If it is identified that OH clearance is required as part of the research passport process, then an Occupation Health (OH) assessment may be required.
Researchers who are linked to LJMU, who have no contractual relationship with the NHS, will need to obtain a Research Passport for an Honorary Research Contract/Letter of Access.
You will need to apply for an OH assessment as part of your research passport if you:
- will have direct impact and contact with patients care
- will have access to identifiable patient information
- wish to access ‘with consent’ identifiable patient data, tissues or organs
If you are a staff member, your allocated business partner will complete your referral form, and this is then submitted to the OH Unit for assessment.
If you are a student, the Operations Manager from the Doctoral Academy will complete your referral form, and this is submitted to the OH Unit for assessment.
Find out more information about the process of how to apply for a research passport.
How long will health clearance from the Occupational Health Unit take?
This could take up to six weeks depending on your immunisation status and what vaccinations and/ or blood tests you require to meet the necessary NHS criteria for the research post. It also depends on the available OH appointments and the individual’s availability, so please keep this in mind.
Once the Occupational Health Nurse has received your referral form from management, you will be emailed a Health Questionnaire form for you to complete. Please aim to complete this at the earliest opportunity to avoid delays in health clearance being issued and delays in commencing your research project.
The Health Questionnaire will ask you to confirm details about your health and vaccination history. It may be necessary for you to attend the OH Unit for an appointment with the Occupational Health Nurse or a telephone consultation may be sufficient.
Once the OH Nurse has assessed and concluded that the individual is fit to commence their research project, then a health clearance certificate will be issued to your referring manager.