Reasonable adjustments in your medical career

What are reasonable adjustments?

Reasonable adjustments are changes an employer or education provider must make to remove or reduce any disadvantages you face because of your condition. This duty is part of the Equality Act 2010. The goal is to create a fair and inclusive environment for everyone.

Who is entitled to reasonable adjustments?

You are entitled to reasonable adjustments if you have a disability. The legal definition of disability is broad and inclusive. It is a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

This can include a wide range of conditions, such as:

• long-term physical or mental health conditions
• neurodiversity, such as dyslexia, ADHD, or autism
• conditions that fluctuate or are not always visible

If you are unsure if this applies to you, you can seek confidential advice.

Examples of reasonable adjustments

Adjustments are tailored to your individual needs. They can vary depending on your role or stage of training.

Medical students

As a medical student, you may need to request reasonable adjustments, such as:

• extra time or rest breaks in exams
• accessible clinical placement sites
• specialist software for laptops, such as text-to-speech
• ergonomic equipment, like a specific chair or mouse

Your medical school’s disability service can help to arrange this support.

GP registrars

For GP registrars, adjustments can be made to both your work and your training. Examples include:

• a designated car parking space closer to the building
• changes to your work rota to help manage fatigue
• adapted clinical equipment, like an adjustable couch
• support with exams, such as the Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA)

Your educational supervisor and NES can help to implement these changes. Support for requesting reasonable adjustments is also available on the RCGP website.

Qualified GPs

As a qualified GP, adjustments can be made in your practice to support you. For example:

• changes to your working hours or session length
• adjustments to on-call or out-of-hours duties
• voice recognition software for writing patient notes
• funded BSL interpreters for Deaf doctors

Your practice manager or partners are the key people to speak with.