Occupational Medicine CESR Portfolio Guide
Complete guide to the Occupational Medicine Portfolio Pathway: 11 Learning Outcomes, 13 evidence sections, and a 6-year currency window. Based on official GMC Specialty Specific Guidance, published by Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
SSG Version: 10/02/2025
Learning Outcomes
The Occupational Medicine SSG defines 11 Learning Outcomes that Portfolio Pathway applicants must demonstrate competence in.
Professional Values and Behaviours
Adopts a self-regulatory approach to professional behaviour, demonstrating and role modelling the professional attributes required by a specialist Occupational Physician
- Maintains confidentiality but judges when disclosure is required in relation to legal accountability ethical principles and safety considerations
- Applies knowledge of specific legislation and ethical frameworks across all four nations, advising workers and managers
- Recognises and appropriately applies principles reflecting the importance of medical ethics, confidentiality and consent
Professional Skills and Knowledge: Communication
Communicates effectively verbally and in writing with workers, employers, worker representatives, colleagues and other stakeholders, across a range of workplace environments, demonstrating effective listening skills, cultural awareness and sensitivity
- Recognises the importance of the relationship between health and work, and work and health, identifying where communication can support or hinder this
- Develops effective relationships with workers, employers, trade unions and other stakeholders
- Demonstrates the ability to produce clear, legible and accurate reports in written form
- Communicates risk to stakeholders
Professional Skills and Knowledge: Clinical Practice
Assesses and manages workers, with respect to work and the workplace, taking into account history, diagnosis, human factors principles, clinical examination and relevant investigations, including mandatory spirometry and audiology.
- Considers the full range of management options available, including pre-placement assessment, sickness absence, modified duties, ill health retirement and/or redeployment.
- Assesses and manages workers with chronic disease and those rehabilitating from acute injury or ill health using the biopsychosocial model.
- Assesses functional capacity and evaluates fitness for work, to include initial, periodic and statutory assessment.
- Liaises with other healthcare professionals as appropriate
- Diagnoses work-related ill health and occupational disease
Workplace Risk
Accurately identifies, assesses and manages workplace hazards and risks across a range of settings
- Provides workplace managers with appropriate recommendations, including health surveillance and occupational hygiene input, aimed at workplace improvements in relation to health.
- Liaises with safety representatives, safety officers, occupational hygienists, ergonomists and other specialists in the assessment of working environments.
- Explains and manages the difference between association and causation in a workplace setting
Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
Promotes and advises on physical and psychological health and wellbeing in the workplace and wider community, as well as prevention of work-related ill health.
- Demonstrates knowledge of cultural, social, religious and economic factors and their influence on workplace health and wider public health within a biopsychosocial model
- Assesses the need for, organises, delivers and evaluates health promotion across a range of workplace environments
- Recognises and advises on health risks in the local environment arising from workplace activities
Leadership and Team Working
Demonstrates a range of leadership behaviours and role models the ability to respect others, working effectively in a multidisciplinary team and within a management structure
- Strategically plans and sets objectives for the delivery of an Occupational Health service.
- Effectively manages and evaluates an occupational health clinic.
- Supervises, challenges, influences, appraises and mentors colleagues and peers to enhance performance and to support development
- Promotes and effectively participates in multidisciplinary and interprofessional team working.
Patient (Worker) Safety
Applies knowledge, clinical skills and professional values to the provision of high quality, safe worker management and investigates, reports and resolves risks to workers and stakeholders.
- Demonstrates the ability to mitigate against safety risks
- Recognises when safety has been compromised and escalates appropriately
Quality Improvement
Independently applies knowledge of quality improvement processes to undertake projects, audits and evaluation studies to improve effectiveness, safety, efficiency and the overall experience of stakeholders.
- Identifies quality improvement opportunities
- Engages with stakeholders, including workers, doctors and managers, to plan and implement service delivery and quality improvement
Safeguarding
Applies knowledge to identify safeguarding issues, thereby taking responsibility for raising concerns, getting advice and taking appropriate actions
- Promotes the professional responsibility of safeguarding
- Demonstrates knowledge of workplace bullying and harassment and the impact on workplace health
Education and Training
Demonstrates knowledge skills and attitudes to provide effective teaching and learning opportunities, including supervision, training, assessment and mentorship in the Occupational Health setting
- Optimises, plans and delivers teaching and learning opportunities to health professionals
- Attains skills to enable confident supervision, recognising the skills of both clinical and educational supervisors and the provision of constructive feedback
- Facilitates learning in the workplace across a wide range of groups and audiences, including employers, workers and colleagues.
Research
Engages with research and promotes innovation
- Adopts an evidence-based approach to Occupational Medicine
- Demonstrates independent evidence-based development to support the revision of guidelines and procedures
- Capable in the use and management of information, and the reflective use of information technology
Evidence Requirements
The SSG specifies 13 evidence sections. Each section describes what evidence to provide and how to present it.
Evidence of training and qualifications
Primary evidence for any previous training towards a medical qualification.
What to provide
- Primary medical qualification (PMQ)
- Specialist medical qualification(s)
- Evidence of Core training (e.g., postgraduate diploma, ARCP Outcome 1 or 6, Certificate of Completion of Common Professional Capabilities)
- Recent specialist training evidence (authenticated copy of curriculum/syllabus, formal periodic assessments, ARCP outcome forms)
How to present
Submit electronically under the correct section of your online application.
Evidence of employment in posts and duties
Evidence of employment history and duties.
What to provide
- CV
- Employment letters
- Job descriptions
How to present
Submit electronically. Information in letters and job descriptions must match your CV.
Curriculum learning outcome 1: Professional Values and Behaviours
Evidence demonstrating professional values and behaviours.
What to provide
- Reports to management
- Case histories, including relevant reports, with reflections
- Workplace-Based Assessments, including Multi-Source/360 feedback reports, with reflection
- Appraisal document from the last 12 months and summaries from preceding four years
- Details of CPD undertaken with relevance to Occupational Medicine
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 2: Professional Skills and Knowledge: Communication
Evidence demonstrating communication skills.
What to provide
- Reports to management
- Case histories, including relevant reports, with reflections
- Evidence of participation in case conferences
- Workplace based assessments, including multisource/360 feedback reports
- Demonstration of and specific feedback and reflection on communication skills
- Compliments, positive feedback and written appreciation
- Appraisal documents
- Evidence of working in a team (e.g., minutes of meetings)
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 3: Professional Skills and Knowledge: Clinical Practice
Evidence demonstrating clinical practice skills.
What to provide
- Diaries or clinic lists for at least two separate months of each year
- Reports to management
- Case histories, including relevant reports, with reflections
- Reflections showing that gaps in knowledge, skills or behaviours have been identified and addressed
- Reports and other evidence of carrying out pre-placement and in-work fitness to work assessments
- Evidence of use of investigations as appropriate
- At least four referrals made to other healthcare professionals
- Workplace based assessments
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 4: Workplace Risk
Evidence demonstrating assessment and management of workplace hazards.
What to provide
- Evidence of carrying out or having involvement in health surveillance
- Audit of, writing protocols/procedures for or evidence of the creation of at least two client health surveillance programmes
- Reports on at least four workplace visits
- Evidence of interactions with Health and Safety Officers, Occupational Hygienists or Ergonomics experts
- At least two reports to management which include discussion of workplace hazards
- At least four Case-based discussions in which workplace hazards are discussed
- Assessment of first aid arrangements in workplaces
- Writing a first aid policy for at least two separate organisations
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 5: Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
Evidence demonstrating health promotion and illness prevention.
What to provide
- At least four reports to management which include mention of health promotion
- Preparation and dissemination of material created on the promotion of good health
- At least two presentations or teaching to colleagues or workers on health promotion
- A Report on assessment of the need for health promotion in a workplace
- CPD on health promotion topics
- Evidence of recommending or advising on the use of stress risk assessment
- Workplace based assessments in which health promotion is included
- Reports on environmental impact assessments for two separate organisations
- Evidence of giving advice on overseas travel
- Writing a policy on travel or carrying out a relevant audit or relevant case histories or CBDs in travel medicine
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 6: Leadership and Team Working
Evidence demonstrating leadership and team working.
What to provide
- Evidence of at least four meetings participated in the development of the delivery of an OH service
- Evidence of managing and evaluating an Occupational Health clinic
- Evidence of working in a team (e.g., minutes of at least two meetings)
- At least two presentations to a team with feedback and reflection
- Evidence of discussing or managing cases within a team
- Evidence of management activities (e.g., leading a project, chairing meetings)
- Workplace based assessments, including Multi-Source/360 feedback reports
- Appraisal documents
- Evidence of carrying out Appraisals of or providing references for others
- Evidence of support or mentoring or supervision of peers
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 7: Patient (Worker) Safety
Evidence demonstrating patient and worker safety.
What to provide
- Management of complex cases of occupational disease
- Reports on workplace visits
- Reports to management which include discussion of workplace hazards
- Minutes of meetings of at least two Health and Safety committee meetings
- Involvement in drug testing or writing a policy/guideline on this subject
- Involvement in the investigation of and/or reporting of significant cases or critical incidents
- Involvement in managing or preventing infectious disease outbreaks
- Carrying out medical assessments for safety-critical jobs
- At least two presentations on other health and safety topics
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 8: Quality Improvement
Evidence demonstrating quality improvement.
What to provide
- Reports of at least two audits carried out
- At least two Standard Operating Procedures, policies or guidelines written or updated
- Evidence of involvement in at least two service development or improvement projects
- Minutes of clinical governance or service improvement meetings
- Relevant CPD with notes on course content and reflection
- Examples of at least two complaints, with written evidence of how they were addressed
- At least two written reports referring to the use of guidelines
- Investigations or reports of critical or significant incidents
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 9: Safeguarding
Evidence demonstrating safeguarding.
What to provide
- Training in Safeguarding and/or Child Protection
- Reports to management which mention actions taken to protect vulnerable individuals
- Case conferences considering vulnerable individuals or safeguarding actions
- Evidence of participation in meetings which discuss these matters
- Communication with others regarding bullying and/or harassment
- Communications with other healthcare professionals in order to protect vulnerable individuals
- Writing or reviewing a policy on safeguarding
- Workplace-Based Assessments of cases involving vulnerable individuals or safeguarding
- Interventions to protect colleagues where violence may or has occurred
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 10: Education and Training
Evidence demonstrating education and training.
What to provide
- At least four examples of presentations or teaching given to groups
- Evidence of training undertaken in the supervision of other medical professionals
- Multi-Source/360 feedback reports with reflection
- Undertaking relevant and appropriate amounts of CPD on a regular basis
- Evidence of creating or arranging educational courses
- Letters of appreciation from educational centres or senior colleagues
- Evidence of giving constructive feedback to others
- Evidence of mentoring others
- Evidence of involvement in the interviewing or assessment of potential new colleagues
- Evidence of carrying out Appraisals of or providing references for others
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Curriculum learning outcome 11: Research
Evidence demonstrating research and innovation.
What to provide
- Dissertation 'for purpose' based on an original research project or MSc
- Scientific papers or case reports published in a peer-reviewed journal
- Account of a study into an aspect of Occupational Health practise
- Writing an evidence-based guideline with literature search and critical appraisal
- Evidence of having carried out data collection and statistical analysis
- Writing an editorial with literature search and critical appraisal
- Submission of abstract and presentation to annual FOM/SOM OH Conference
- Writing or revising a chapter in a book
- Preparation of a poster based on research and literature review
- Presentations to a journal club
- Submission to an ethics committee
- Acting as a reviewer for a peer-reviewed medical journal
- CPD or training in research methods and statistics
- Report on investigation of possible occupational disease
How to present
Group evidence together to keep the number of individual electronic uploads manageable.
Knowledge Requirements
Primary Path
Diploma in Occupational Medicine of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the UK (D Occ Med), Associate of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (AFOM), or Membership of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (MFOM) Part 1 and Part 2.
Alternative Path
A detailed, thorough and succinct cross-referencing mapping exercise, demonstrating how each and every competency set out in one of the above has been covered in their own qualifications.
A pass in the MFOM (Ireland) exams is considered comparable to the UK MFOM Part 2/AFOM exam.
Referee Requirements
Referee Reports Required
- At least two must be from Consultants in Occupational Medicine
- One can be from a Nurse Manager or another senior professional such an HR Director, Health and Safety Manager or Director, or a senior healthcare practitioner who has worked with you
Volume and Assessment Targets
The SSG specifies minimum volume and assessment targets for this specialty.
Mini-CEX
Workplace-based assessments
CBDs
Workplace-based assessments
DOPs
Workplace-based assessments
SAIL OH 1
Workplace-based assessments
SAIL OH 2
Workplace-based assessments
Reports to management
Reports
Teaching and presentations
Presentations
Case histories
Case histories
Multi-source feedback (colleague)
MSF
Multi-source feedback (patient/client)
MSF
Workplace visit reports
Reports
Audit
Audit
Cases assessed
Clinical Practice
Currency Window & Evidence Volume
Currency Window
Years
In general, you should provide evidence from your last six years of clinical practise (whole time equivalent (WTE) – these do not need to be consecutive). Certain items can be older than this, including exam passes, postgraduate diplomas, core training evidence, research, and publications. Some older items require more recent evidence as well, such as workplace visits, environmental impact assessments, teaching, audits, CPD, clinical governance work, and management practice.
Evidence Volume
As a general guide, we would not expect more than 1,200 pages of evidence.
Additional Notes
Do not submit original documents. You must provide your evidence electronically.
All your evidence, other than qualifications you’re getting authenticated, must be accompanied by a pro-forma signed by the person who is attesting to the validity and accuracy of your evidence (your verifier).
It is important that you anonymise your evidence before you submit it to us. You must remove: All patient/worker identifying details, Details of patients’/workers’ relatives, Details of colleagues that you have assessed, written a reference for, or who have been involved in a complaint you have submitted.
Unsuccessful applications or poor evidence often have inadequate evidence in: Audit, Management and Leadership, Health surveillance and health promotion, Insufficient numbers of workplace-based assessments, Reflection on activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Occupational Medicine CESR portfolio?
How many framework units does Occupational Medicine require?
What evidence is required for Occupational Medicine specialist registration?
How long is the currency window for Occupational Medicine?
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