Medical Leave

Medical Leave should be used for periods of absence related to your physical or mental health and can cover:

• Physical illness
• Mental health illness
• Pregnancy-related illness
• Antenatal appointments
• Fertility treatment – a Student experiencing fertility issues and has been medically advised that they require leave, including (but not limited to) undergoing fertility treatment
• Disability-related illness (including chronic illness)
• Disability-related appointments (including for chronic illness) e.g. diagnosis, therapy or treatment
• Gender reassignment – a Student undertaking gender reassignment and has been medically advised that they require leave

Entitlement

You are entitled to up to 28 weeks of Medical Leave in a rolling 12-month period. Please note, the total cumulative amount of medical leave must not exceed 52 weeks across your whole studentship.

Any medical leave absence over 1 month will result in a funded extension of the same duration added to the end of your current funded period. For absences of a month or more you should apply for an interruption of studies.

Chronic Illness

Students with chronic or long-term conditions may need to take numerous, shorter periods of Medical Leave of less than 1 month. In these cases, you would not interrupt your studies but the absences should be recorded via your supervisor and then submitted to the Precision Medicine team at the end of each year so as a funded extension can be added to the end of your current funded period.  

Please note that these shorter absences will count towards your 28 weeks in a rolling 12-month period and the overall 52 weeks permitted across your studentship.  

Please email precision.medicine@ed.ac.uk to request using your entitlement to Medical Leave in this way. 

How to apply

If you need to apply for an interruption of studies for health reasons you should submit a Concession Request Form, along with the relevant supporting evidence to precision.medicine@ed.ac.uk.

Returning to Study

Following your absence, you may wish to consider a phased return to study. 

• A phased return is an agreement between you and your supervisor that you will study a certain number of hours each week, with the aim of returning to your normal mode of study.  
• This would take place over a four week period which is then reviewed (and if appropriate extended for a further four weeks) toward the end of that period.
• The amount of time not studying is recorded as leave, any eligible leave can be used e.g. medical leave or accrued annual leave.
• A funded extension to cover the period of leave used for the phased return can be added to the end of your funded period.

Should you wish to arrange a phased return please discuss with your supervisor and send the agreed plan to precision.medicine@ed.ac.uk for final approval and recording.