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GP Views on Fit for Work Notes |
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Recent research published by the Government gathers the views of GP’s about the introduction of Fit for Work notes. The notes replaced sick notes from 6th April 2010. The research identifies that GPs use the fit note as a consultation tool to initiate and guide negotiations with patients through the options for returning to work and use the fit note to keep people in work and return people to work in a variety of ways for a range of conditions. GPs report the fit note to be most useful in facilitating a return to work for those patients with mild-to-moderate mental health conditions and musculoskeletal conditions. GPs are less likely to use the fit note to help patients return to work if the patient’s job contributes to their condition. They are also unwilling to damage their relationship with their patients. Many GPs did not at first recognise the potential of the fit note to help their patients remain in work or return sooner and so did not put thought into how it might be used in practice. Not all GPs are confident in the level of detail required on the fit note, they can find it difficult understanding and distinguishing between the back-to-work options, such as workplace adaptations and altered duties, and they can be confused about how to complete the date fields on the fit note. Many GPs believe that motivating people back to work is an integral part of their role and that the fit note has helped GPs do this. Generally, GPs feel that their role now involves changing patient perceptions of their ability to work and the fit note has allowed some GPs to adopt a stricter role with their patients. GPs believe that there is a role for other agencies in helping remove non-medical barriers to their patients working, such as lack of skills.
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