new medical 'fit note'.
The underlying principle of the replacement of the sick note with the
'fit note' is to improve the advice given to people about staying in
work and in the circumstances where this is not possible, what
employers can do to make alterations within the job to assist them in
returning to work sooner.
The 'fit note' will incorporate a new option where doctors can
indicate where a patient may be fit for some work now.
If a patient is classified in this category by a doctor, then they
will need to provide general details of the functional effect of that
individual's condition. Only generic advice is expected as most
medical professionals who issue statements are not experts in
occupational health.
The patient's employer will not be compelled to implement any
suggestions made by a doctor for workplace changes designed to
facilitate a return to work. Changes are to be provided at the
discretion of employers and with the agreement of the employee.
However, there are concerns among doctors that they will not be able
to make effective work-adjustment situations as they are unfamiliar
with their patients' work situations.
Laurence Buckman, Chair of the British Medical Association's GPs
Committee, commented: "Sitting in a consulting room, it's impossible
for me to have knowledge of my patients' working conditions, so I
don't have the evidence to back up the kind of decision I'm being
asked to make. That's the role of an occupational health doctor."
He went on: "In its current form this 'fit note' is likely to be
misunderstood by doctors and patients alike. It also represents a
fundamental shift of our responsibilities to our patients. GPs act as
their patients' advocates, but we can't do that if we're also expected
to be judge and jury, and effectively decide whether or not they get
social security payments."
Nonetheless, the Government is determined to press ahead with the
reforms, and wants a system that is more flexible and takes into
account a changing world of work which is less physically demanding
and allows employers to apply low-cost changes to facilitate an
individual's return to work.
Lord Bill McKenzie, health and safety minister said: "Employers tell
us that managing sickness absence can be a challenge. This is
compounded by a 'sick note' system that makes sickness absence a
black-and-white issue - either you are unfit for work, or you are not.
"We recognise how important it is to help people who are sick to stay
in work, or get back to work quickly - the new 'fit note' will do just
that."
Health minister, Ben Bradshaw, added: "We know that sickness absence
is economically and socially damaging, and makes people more likely to
drift into social exclusion and poverty. Getting people back into work
quicker is good for their health as well as the country's finances."
The computer-generated 'fit note' is expected to be put into practice
in the Spring of 2010.
