Completing a Pre-Employment Medical Assessment is a compulsory part of your application process as it ensures that you have the appropriate level of health and fitness to perform to meet the requirements of the Prison Officer role.

If you attend a medical, make sure you take documentation from your treating physician regarding any current condition or medical history.

Why do I need a Pre-Employment Medical Assessment?

• To ensure you can safely undertake the requirements of the job without putting yourself or others at risk of illness or injury
• To ensure you can work safely and are not likely to be affected by illegal or inappropriate drug use
• To establish baseline health data to assist with subsequent health monitoring
• To introduce new employees to the culture of health and safety at Corrections Victoria

It is a legal requirement that you disclose information on all pre-existing injuries or illnesses that may be affected by the job of Prison Officer. If you do not disclose this information, you may not be entitled to Worker’s Compensation if the nature of the job aggravates a pre-existing injury or illness.

If you refuse to undergo a pre-employment Medical Assessment, Corrections Victoria will take this to mean that you are unable to meet the inherent requirements of the job and the selection process will not proceed.

In exceptional circumstances, Corrections Victoria may consider medical evidence you provide which establishes that you can perform the requirements of the job.

What are the steps involved in the Medical Assessment?

• You will complete a medical questionnaire and then be seen by a medical practitioner who will review the questionnaire with you
• You will undertake a physical examination and complete a Doctor’s Statement
• You will be asked to provide a urine sample for a screening test for illicit/illegal drugs. If the screening test is positive you will be asked to provide a further urine sample under supervision for confirmation testing at an approved laboratory facility. The use of illicit / illegal drugs is a cause for disqualification from employment with Corrections Victoria
• Your completed medical questionnaire and examination form will be kept by the doctor as a confidential medical record
• The Doctor’s Statement will be sent to Corrections Victoria. It indicates whether you are fit or unfit to perform the inherent requirements of the job, subject to modifications/restrictions, or if a positive urine drug screen was detected
• If your application is successful the Doctor’s Statement will be placed on your personnel file. If your application is unsuccessful, the Doctor’s Statement will be destroyed

What does the Medical Assessment include?

The medical assessment will include the following components:

• supervised urine drug screen
• audiology (hearing test)
• vision and colour vision (basic eye test)
• lung function test
• cardiovascular health
• general health
• a brief past history of illness
• task based assessments

The Medical assessment does not include: rectal, gynaecological, breast examination or blood tests. You may be required to remove parts of your clothing to enable proper examination.