There has been lot written about the new fit note system – much of it speculative and much more hot wind. I personally think we will see little change accept in a small monitory of cases.

Under the new system coming into force in April 2010, GPs will not be asked to determine whether a worker is 100 per cent fit to return to work. Instead, the onus will be on employers to determine what a patient declared ‘may be fit for some work’ could or could not do at work.

But I can’t see the new system significantly changing behaviours, especially of doctors who are so crucial to the picture. GPs are reluctant to get involved in discussions about work. They make a decision that someone is unfit to work or well enough to go back to work, but they do not want to, or really cannot, get involved in the gradations of how much work an individual could or could not do.

That is not going to change. (For a different view hear Royal College of General Practitioners’ chairman’s podcast on fit notes.)

And ever fearful of litigation, few employers are likely to significantly alter their approach to long-term sickness absence as a result of the new scheme. (See Employers Risk DDA Claims Under New Fit Note Rules for more.)

For an idea of how these schemes already work in practice in the public sector – or don’t – see Signal Consulting Jane Pound’s Worried Well.

In short, I don’t believe the fit note scheme will affect more than a very small percentage of absences. It is essentially a bit of propaganda to try and massage the rates of unemployment verus long-term sickness.

Tags: fit note, fit note scheme, sickness absence
Posted by Elspeth Watt
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