As of 1 October 2014, Student Health have begun their trial period for the updated Health Declaration process during the exam period. Students will now be charged a non-refundable $10 on top of their consultation fee if they would like to be considered for the declaration. This means those with a Community Services card will pay $16.50, those without will pay $31.50, and international students will pay $45.00. For international students this will have to be paid at the time of consultation and cannot be billed to an insurer.
Previously the consulting doctor at Student Health would sign a degree of impairment on a Health Declaration form as part of the general consultation. Under the new system, cases will be judged entirely by the third party and there will be no difference in levels of impairment – such as the previous system, which considered whether impairments were mild, moderate or severe.
In a letter informing students of the change, Student Health said the doctor will “document the case as s/he understands it on the [Health Declaration] form and forward this to an adjudicating panel.” Director of Student Services Dr Kim Maiai told Critic this panel would be composed of “a small group of experienced Student Health professionals.” Note that this panel will not examine the patient, and their decision will be based solely on the doctor’s notes of the patient. This indicates that the individual doctors are not being trusted to judge the patients themselves.
Student Health said the change was so that “health professionals can, quite correctly, focus on your health rather than the issue of academic impairment. We believe that these changes will allow for greater consistency and fairness of process and outcome.” Dr Maiai said the $10 surcharge, which comes as part of the changes, “reflects clinicians’ time in adjudicating on health declarations.”
OUSA Director of Student Support Matt Tucker said, “It is absolutely unfair to require students who are already sick or possibly stressed to pay an extra fee just to apply for special consideration.” Student Support was never consulted.
Tucker added the change is “unfairly disadvantaging students who are in genuine need of special consideration.” The OUSA Welfare Officer and Student Support intend to meet with Student Health to “look to work towards creating a fairer system for students.”
This is the first time Student Health has implemented such a system and they intend to review the system at the end of the 2014 exam period.
Sickness at Student Health an extra $10
Student Health alters Health Declaration process for 2014 exams
