GPs will stop issuing sick notes to patients across the country as the government announces a new trial to reduce the number of people out of work due to health issues.
The trial will initially be set out in four locations, affecting hundreds of thousands of workers. It will see claimants referred to support services which will create personalised “return to work” plans for them.
Announcing the commencement of the trial, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it will overhaul the current “broken” fit note system, which is often a “tick-box exercise”.
It points to statistics that find 11 million fit notes are issued every year, with nine in ten declaring the recipient not fit for work.
Work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden, said: “Fit notes are too often a dead end – a piece of paper that tells people they can’t work but does nothing to help them get better.
“We’re changing that. By bringing employers, the NHS, and patients together we can help people recover faster, stay connected to their jobs, and get the economy firing on all cylinders.
“That’s what these pilots are about, and that’s what this Government is committed to – fixing what is broken.”
The scheme builds on comments made by John Lewis chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield last year, who said the fit note system was “not working as intended” and called for an official review.
The previous Conservative government had announced plans to reform “sick note culture” shortly before losing the general election to Labour in 2024. The plans were halted after doctors criticised the proposals.
Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, president of the Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs take our responsibility to appropriately issue fit notes seriously, but the current system can involve significant administrative work that takes time away from patient care.
“We are open to exploring evidence-based reforms that could help improve outcomes for patients. However, any reform of the fit note process must put the health and wellbeing of patients first, be fully resourced and avoid creating additional workload for general practice. As such we look forward to seeing a comprehensive evaluation of this pilot.”
The DWP and NHS will test the new approach through existing WorkWell sites – a health and employment support service launched in 2024. These will affect up to 100,000 appointments for up to a year, with the pilots varying slightly in each location:
- Birmingham and Solihull – GPs issue the first fit note where needed, with all patients referred to a new support service led primarily by non-clinical staff, including social prescribers and work and health coaches
- Coventry and Warwickshire – GPs issue the first fit note, with patients able to be referred to a support service made up of both clinical and non-clinical staff
- Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly – GPs refer patients directly to a non-clinical support service, without issuing a fit note
- Lancashire and South Cumbria – GPs refer patients to a support service made up of both clinical and non-clinical staff, without issuing a fit note.
James Taylor, director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope said: “We know that the fit note itself and the process needs to be improved, for individuals and for employers.
“Its positive pilots are taking place to understand how to improve the system and keep people in work.
“Disabled people face barriers at every stage of working life and are nearly twice as likely to leave work as non-disabled people.
“The DWP needs to be listen to the experiences of disabled people and understand the impact of any decisions that are made. They also need to recognise that some people might not be able to work.”
