Government plans overhaul of fit note process

As reported by Pulse, the government is set to revamp the fit note system, aiming to streamline the process and provide specialised support for people seeking work

This will begin ‘with trailblazer trials in a small number of ICBs’, and the pilots will inform the launch of a consultation to ‘improve’ the fit note process, it said.

The move forms part of a series of measures the Government claims will help 1.1 million people with long-term health conditions, disabilities or unemployment to look for and stay in work.

The announcement carried no detail on what reforms are planned but it stressed that GPs ‘will continue to play an important role in supporting working age people where their health presents a barrier to work’.

As part of the same package of measures, the Government said NHS Talking Therapies service will also be expanded to offer treatment to an additional 384,000 people over the next five years.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will use his Autumn Statement on Wednesday next week to outline the plan.

He said: ‘We’re serious about growing our economy and that means we must address the rise in people who aren’t looking for work – especially because we know so many of them want to and with almost a million vacancies in the jobs market the opportunities are there.’

Health secretary Victoria Atkins said: ‘We know that tailored work and health support initiatives can help break down the kinds of barriers that can make finding and staying in a job more difficult for those with mental health conditions.

‘Backing them with further investment means they’re more widely available, enables personalised help and will get thousands back to work by overcoming any issues that may be preventing them from fulfilling their career potential.’

A recent Government consultation asked GPs for their opinion on further extending the pool of professionals who can sign fit notes.

Last year, changes to the legislation enabled nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists to legally certify fit notes.

This was the biggest change to the rules around fit notes since they were introduced in 2010 and part of a planned overhaul of reforms that has included scrapping ink-only signatures and providing more ‘interactive’ advice on workplace adaptations and support.

In August, the RCGP urged the Government to involve GPs in discussions around plans for the future of fit notes, including possible automatic referrals to ‘life coaches’.

And the BMA described Government plans under which GPs may be encouraged to recommend people with long-term sickness return to work to reduce the number of fit notes as ‘ridiculous’.