Starting university is an exciting time. To ensure you are prepared and ready to start your programme you need to make sure you complete your Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and complete and return your occupational health questionnaire.
Please take time to read through all the information on this page so you understand the next steps you need to complete the pre-registration process. The three main areas you will go through as part of the process are the:
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
A Disclosure and Barring Service check is a process to find out whether someone has a criminal record and is a requirement of your programme. Your DBS clearance checks can take several months, so it’s essential you start the process as soon as possible. Please read the following information and ensure the submission deadline is met.
How to complete your DBS check
An email will be sent to offer holders in early June from dbs.clearance@kcl.ac.uk with further information and a link to start the process. Once your DBS check has been initiated, you will receive an email from our DBS supplier, Atlantic Data (dbs@kcl.disclosures.co.uk) to confirm this.
We have more information on the DBS process, including frequently asked questions.
DBS submission deadline
The final stage of the DBS application process involves authenticating documents used to confirm your identity and address via the Post Office. Please note that the Post Office cannot submit your application to our DBS referencing agency until you complete this process. Your DBS application must be authenticated via Post Office and submitted by the deadline in September 2025. International offer holders must ensure they are in the UK in time to attend the Post Office to authenticate their application.
Offer-holders who do not submit their DBS application by September 2025 will not be able to start their programme of study and may be required to delay their start until the following academic year.
Occupational health and immunity clearance
All pre-registration nursing and midwifery students are required to be assessed by the Occupational Health Service as medically fit to undertake their course of study and clinical practice. In addition, you must also meet certain immunity requirements as a health care worker before going on clinical placement.
This might sound daunting, but the process allows for the identification of any reasonable adjustments that could be put in place to support you to be successful in your course of study and clinical practice. You can start this process once you hold a ‘firm’ offer. You must complete this questionnaire within three weeks of its receipt.
There are two stages to the occupational health clearance process:
- The pre-placement questionnaire - the first stage, which starts prior to enrolling.
- Your immunity clearance. For midwifery students this takes place prior to enrolment, but for nursing students it happens after enrolment.
Pre-Placement Occupational Health Questionnaire
In early June, or once you have a firm offer, you will receive an email from Optima Health, who are our occupational health service provider inviting you to complete a health questionnaire also referred to as a Pre-Registration Occupational Health Questionnaire.
FAQ: For further information on your Pre-Placement Occupational Heatlh Questionnaire.
You can find information on how to fill out the pre-placement questionnaire when you download The Occupational Health Service guide for King's nursing and midwifery students.
Note: The questionnaire will come from the following email address: notification@mail.tphealth.co.uk
If you have a firm offer and haven’t received the occupational health questionnaire, please contact the Admissions team via the Admissions Portal.
Reviewing your declaration
Your completed occupational health questionnaire will be reviewed by an occupational health practitioner to assess your fitness to complete your chosen course of study. If they require more information, they will contact you directly. You may be invited for a compulsory telephone and/or face-to-face consultation or asked to provide further GP or specialist information.
If you have any questions regarding the questionnaire, you are welcome to contact the Occupational Health Service providers directly:
Why do we ask you to complete an occupational health questionnaire?
We are committed to inclusion and accessibility, ensuring that students with disabilities and health conditions are safe and supported. Completing your health questionnaire is mandatory. This is necessary as it helps to make sure you, patients and colleagues are safe during your course and when on clinical placements.
The information provided as part of this process will not be shared with King’s College London without your consent.
In line with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements, you are expected to declare all health conditions, even if they don't affect you day to day, as they may impact your studies or placement. Not declaring relevant information will result in your offer being withdrawn.
Support and adjustments
Where an Occupational Health Service provider identifies and recommends adjustments for a student, we will work with them and our clinical practice partners to identify the extent to which the adjustments can be implemented/supported within the professional registration requirements of the course.
We may ask for your input or invite you to undertake further assessment to determine whether we can support you during the programme to perform the specific competencies required for registration. You may be advised to self-refer to the Disability Support Service. Their role is to offer support for the academic part of your programme and to ensure that reasonable adjustments are in place to support your learning, for example, if you have dyslexia or anxiety.
Immunity Clearance
All students undertaking clinical placements during their course need to provide evidence of immunity against certain work-related vaccine-preventable communicable diseases. These are requirements set out by the Department of Health for all healthcare workers, and include:
- Measles
- Rubella
- Varicella (Chicken Pox)
- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Hepatitis B
When you attend your New Starter Check appointment, the Occupational Health Service provider will assess and confirm your immunity to the above communicable diseases. If at that time, you are unable to demonstrate immunity by providing documentary evidence, the Occupational Health Service provider will undertake any required blood tests and recommend or offer vaccinations as indicated.
More information on these requirements can be found in the Department of Health's clearance handbook.
If you are unable to have a live vaccine (MMR, VZV and BCG) due to pregnancy or a health condition, Occupational Health will advise on adjustments that need to be made to enable you to continue the programme.
The university will work with the placement providers to see if these can be accommodated, if this is not possible you will not be able to fulfil the requirements of the programme and will be withdrawn.
Clearance for placement
Once you receive clearance from the Occupational Health Service provider, the Faculty will be informed. This includes information on the support or adjustments you might require which will be shared with your consent. Full Occupational Health clearance will not be confirmed until the satisfactory completion of both the health clearance and immunity checks have been completed. Additionally, you must be DBS-cleared.
Mandatory training must also be completed in order to go to placement. You’ll find out more about mandatory training once you start the programme in September. The final requirement is to pick up your uniform and badge, further information relating to this will be provided after Welcome Week.
If you are not cleared for Placement in time our Programmes Team will be in contact you with what your options are. In some rare cases, this might involve interrupting your studies.
You must be Cleared for Placement by the deadlines below:
- MSc Adult, Mental Health and MNurs Dual-award Nursing: Wednesday 29 October 2025
- BSc Adult, Child and Mental Health Nursing: Wednesday 12 November 2025
- BSc Midwifery: Monday 30 October 2025
If an offer-holder or a third party on behalf of the offer-holder, is found to have provided untrue or inaccurate information or to have omitted information at enrolment, registration can be terminated without notice as per university regulations. (please see G25, page 63).
Starting your programme
Welcome Week commences on Monday 22 – Friday 26 September 2025. We strongly advise you to attend Welcome Week as key information about your programme of study is covered in this week. Failure to attend means you will miss out on key information as well opportunities to meet with your cohort and build a learning community.
In August, we will be in touch with more information about what to expect in your first few weeks of the programme.