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Providing medical evidence

Medical evidence is used to consider access arrangements requests from students with a disability or medical condition. This is designed to help you to provide the appropriate medical evidence for your condition.

What kind of evidence is accepted?

Your medical evidence must be:

  • Provided by a qualified medical practitioner
  • On headed paper with the professional's contact details
  • Accurate
  • Up-to-date

Normally we would expect that your medical evidence is written in English. We may consider medical evidence written in another language but this should always be accompanied by a certified translation.

In line with the UK General Medical Council’s guidance, we would not normally accept medical evidence which is produced by a close relative, friend or work colleague, even if he/she is medically qualified.

What should your evidence contain?

The medical evidence is expected to cover the following key points:

  • Name of the condition or impairment.
  • Date of diagnosis.
  • Period of time that you have been seeing the practitioner for this condition/impairment.
  • Length of time that the practitioner expects the condition/impairment to last.
  • Main symptoms that could impact studies/exams (e.g. mobility impairment, loss of concentration)
  • Current treatment and/or medication.
  • Side-effects of any treatments/medication.

It is possible that not all of the points mentioned above will be relevant to your condition/impairment. However, it is important that your medical evidence provide as much information as possible. In order to help your medical practitioner to produce medical evidence which is as accurate as possible, you may wish to share these requirements with them.

What evidence is required from students with specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia)?

To consider access arrangements for students with specific learning difficulties, we require a full diagnostic assessment report.

The diagnostic assessment must have been conducted after you were 16 years old by a chartered psychologist (or equivalent), an educational psychologist, or a specialist teacher holding an assessment practicing certificate.

The report must:

  • be on headed paper with the professional's contact details.
  • include all tests carried out to assess your specific learning difficulty.
  • include a summary of recommendations.

Confidentiality

Any information disclosed as a part of your medical evidence is treated confidentially. Where information needs to be shared with other University members or examination centres in order to make access arrangements for you, this will be done only with your consent and on a 'need-to-know' basis.

Contact us

If you have any queries regarding the above guidance, contact the Inclusive Practice Office.