Government calls for “well notes”
Government calls for 'well notes'
Health secretary Alan Johnson has said he wants to see doctors to shift away from sicknotes and instead to issue 'well notes,' setting out what tasks a worker can perform instead of certificates automatically signing them off. The move has led to concern in both trade unions and the medical profession, with doctors' leaders saying GPs should not be used to 'police the system'. The secretary of state is also encouraging employers to run health clinics in a bid to cut the estimated 175m working days lost to sickness each year, at a cost of £13bn. He made the announcement in a 20 February speech to the British Heart Foundation.
The sicknote proposal, to be piloted in the summer, will require GPs to offer patients advice about what they can do to get fit for work. The announcements come ahead of a publication in March of a report by Dame Carol Black, the national director for health and work, who is looking at the issue. Mr Johnson said: 'We are not asking GPs to police the benefits system and we are not suggesting that GPs shouldn't sign sick notes.' He said too many people ended up drifting on to incapacity benefit via the sick note system. 'If we can stop that and help people back into work that is a good thing. That is what we are trying to do and I don't think the current sick note system helps with that.' A large body of evidence has identified a more extensive problem from 'presenteeism' - the working wounded turning in when sick, when it would be in everybody's best interested for them to keep their germs and their recuperation at home.
Department of Health news release. NHS Employers news release. BBC News Online
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