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'Fit notes' launched to get the sick working
Anna Davis25 Nov 2008
THE Government today declared war on the "sick note" culture with a £45million campaign to get people off benefits and back to work.
Doctors will instead be ordered to issue "fit notes" listing what tasks patients can perform. Employment advisers will also be sent to work in GP surgeries and a health hotline will be set up for small businesses.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said: "There was a feeling in society that you should protect people from work and that the best thing to do was to go home and watch daytime TV. If you have a mental health problem I can think of nothing worse. It is now recognised that the worst thing that can happen is to push someone out of work and pretend it is in their best interests."
He said the sick note has remained virtually unchanged since the NHS was created. He added: "It just says you can't work, and has no flexibility whatsoever. We want to make it an electronic fit note to bring it bang up to date."
Last year 172million working days were lost to sickness absence, at a cost of more than £100billion. Today's announcement comes after the national health and work czar Dame Carol Black carried out a review of the health of Britain's workforce.
She said: "This agenda is vitally important in the current economic climate. There are stark economic and social costs if we don't strive to help people be healthy and in work."
Under the new measures a National Centre for Working-age Health and Wellbeing will be set up with co-ordinators employed to advise small businesses.
However, Liberal Democrat shadow health secretary, Norman Lamb said: "We must be wary of moving to a system where doctors find themselves policing the benefits system rather than treating the sick."
Reader views (3)
Thought we were in a recession and unemployment was on the rise,O i see its all caused by those nasty sick people,just like the Thatcher period when 3 million on the dole was caused by the 3 million on the dole.that's the oldest trick in the book to divert attention away from the people that caused it by the mismanagement.
- Kev, London, 25/11/2008 19:31
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Why was this not done years ago? It has long been known that the system simply encourages false claims and complaisant doctors. Most 'sick' people can do something.
- Richard, London, London. UK, 25/11/2008 17:16
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"There was a feeling in society that you should protect people from work ..."
Only amongst Labour voters. In fact Labour tax middle England to ensure they get the 'couch potato' vote.
- Frank, Home Counties, England, 25/11/2008 14:49
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