New 'fit note' to replace doctor's sick note

The law relating to GP provided sick notes is due to change in April 2010. In place of the sick note a new 'statement of fitness to work' will be introduced.

What will the new approach mean for your business?

Studies show that work can be good for health. Being engaged in work produces benefits beyond obtaining a salary. The Fit Note is being introduced so that the GP can provide simple, clear and practical advice about an employees' fitness to work. An earlier return to work can bring benefit to both the employee and the organisation. The Fit Note will provide, where possible, the opportunity for employees and their employers to work together to find an arrangement that works for them both. Fit Notes will give GP’s the opportunity to provide written comments and more detailed views which may help guide decisions. For example, the functional effects of the condition and how the employee might best approach a return to work. Businesses will need to know what these changes mean for them, what new benefits Fit Notes may introduce and how the new approach can be best handled on an individual basis.

I.O.H. can assist organisations with the interpretation of the GP’s advice. The guide for employers states that where a GP recommends an occupational health assessment, it should be seriously considered and adds “The benefits of this support, in many circumstances, will be greater than the financial investment.”

I would go further and say that where this is advised it would be a serious error not to obtain that advice as this could be seen as an essential process in the management of your staff and could be used as evidence of your failure of your duty of care in a tribunal or injury claim scenario.

It may well become the case where health and safety advisors will become part of the risk assessment process. This in many cases will be a new area for most health and safety professionals and guidance on what is considered “appropriate” risk assessment for health related issues may be required.

I.O.H. can assist you with this process through the guidance of our qualified and experienced occupational health team. I.O.H. will also be running a series of training programmes to make employers aware of their duties and how the information provided by the GP can be interpreted to best effect.

Contact the Staithes office on 0191 4931380 for more information

Business need

All those dealing with sickness, absence or attendance at work will need to know about the changes due to come into force in April.

Guidance to explain how the process will impact on employers and guidance for doctors has been produced by the Department of Works and Pensions.

Click on the link to download the pdf. file

Statement of Fitness for Work – A guide for employers

Statement of Fitness for Work – A guide for General Practitioners and other doctors

An example of the new Fit Note can be found on page 8 of the Employers Guide and page 9 of the Doctors Guide.

Barry Tupper CFIOSH
Operations Director I.O.H.