Pre-employment checks

Dear Friend,

Hope you’re enjoying the summer!I’ve been making the most of the hot, sunny weather—though as someone who’s recently taken up gardening, the lack of rain hasn’t been great for my plants!

This week, in preparation for starting my new job, I received an email from the admin team asking me to complete all my pre-employment checks and occupational health forms.

It reminded me of when I was about to start FY2. I had misplaced several key documents and ended up making multiple trips to get everything sorted. As a result, I started my first day without an ID badge or login credentials—not the ideal way to begin a job.

So, as you get ready to begin your next rotation or start FY1, here’s a friendly reminder: pre-employment checks can take longer than expected. It’s really important to get everything organised early to avoid delays and last-minute stress.

Every NHS Trust requires you to complete these checks before you start work. And here’s the thing—they often take longer than you expect. Missing or incomplete documents can delay your start date, or leave you scrambling at the last minute.

To avoid making the same mistakes as me, this week I’d share some tips of what you can do in advance to make your joining process as streamlined as possible. 

🧾 What Are Pre-Employment Checks?

Pre-employment checks typically include:

✅ Proof of ID (passport, driving licence, etc.)

✅ Right to Work (visa/settled status if applicable)

✅ Occupational health clearance (including vaccination/immunisation records)

✅ DBS certificate (Disclosure and Barring Service)

✅ References and full employment history (with no gaps)

✅ Qualification certificates (medical degree, etc.)

📦 Get Prepared: What You’ll Need & Where to Find It

🩹 Vaccination/Immunisation History

Ask your GP or university occupational health service.

You may need records for: Hep B, MMR, Varicella, and TB screening.

🪪 ID Documents

Passport and/or driving licence

Proof of address (e.g. recent utility bill or bank statement)

🗂️ Employment History & References

Update your CV and gather employment dates

Contact previous supervisors or educational supervisors early to confirm references

📜 Qualification Certificates

Request transcripts and graduation certificates from your medical school

🔍 DBS Check

If your Trust doesn’t process it, apply online through the official DBS portal or check if you’re on the Update Service. I would really recommend signing up for the update service – it costs £13 a year and everything then becomes an automated process. Remembering to do this on an annual basis is difficult. 

📸 ID Badge Photos or Forms

Some Trusts require a photo upload in advance—check your welcome email or HR pack

⏰ Start Now – Not Later

HR departments will send you a checklist or portal access soon (if they haven’t already). Start gathering your documents now, so you’re ready to upload everything promptly when asked.

Top Tip: Make a digital folder with scanned PDFs of everything you need. It’ll save you hours later.

Starting a new job is exciting—but the paperwork can slow you down if you’re not prepared. Get ahead of the game and check this task off your to-do list today.

Best of luck as you take this next big step in your medical journey!

Drug of the week

Idarucizumab

Idarucizumab is a non-competitive inhibitor that forms complexes with dabigatran to counteract its anticoagulant effect within minutes of administration. 

It binds to dabigatran that is free or bound to thrombin, as well as dabigatran’s active metabolites.

idarucizumab is specific to dabigatran and has an affinity that is around 350 times stronger compared to thrombin.

A major adverse effect is thromboembolism resulting in stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis and heart attack. This is especially of concern, because patients prescribed idarucizumab were already at a higher risk of thromboembolic events.

A Brain Teaser

A 77-year-old man, Henry, reports that he has had increasing difficulty hearing over the past few months. He usually plays bingo on Tuesday evenings and has noticed that he often has to ask the number caller to repeat themselves. He has also had a complaint from his neighbour who has said that Henry’s television volume is often too loud. Henry comes to see you as he would like to know whether his hearing problems could be something to do with his medications.

Which one of the following medications may be responsible for his symptoms?

A: Simvastatin

B: Bendroflumethiazide

C: Quinine

D: Aciclovir

E: Amlodipine