A new fit note system is being piloted as the Government looks at ways to help more people return to work following illness. The current 'broken' system issues some 11 million fit notes each year, with more than nine in 10 declaring the person ‘not fit for work’.
National Trial to Replace Paperwork with Personalised Plans
The national trial will see GP practices abandon the familiar paperwork following a record year of employee absences. Four specific regions have been selected to test the alternative methods, which are scheduled to begin this summer. These pilot schemes will, the Government says, "end this tick-box exercise which does not offer any support or guidance and replace it with personalised ‘stay in work’ and ‘return to work’ plans for workers who fall ill." The pilots will cover up to 100,000 appointments and last up to a year, with continuous testing.
Redirecting to Social Prescribers
Rather than always obtaining fit notes from their GPs, the pilot scheme will redirect struggling employees to surgery-based 'social prescribers'. This encompasses alternatives such as fitness programmes and career coaching to support them in work. However, "those who need time off to recover will still get it," says the Government.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, said: "Fit notes are too often a dead end - a piece of paper that tells people they can’t work but does nothing to help them get better. By bringing employers, the NHS, and patients together, we can help people recover faster, stay connected to their jobs, and get the economy firing on all cylinders."
WorkWell Coaching Scheme Rollout
The Government will also roll out its WorkWell coaching scheme - accessible to DWP claimants - to support those issued with fit notes. WorkWell is a health and employment support service that delivers integrated, holistic early assistance to individuals facing health-related barriers to work. These areas will trial the following approaches from July:
- Birmingham and Solihull: GPs issue the first fit note where needed, with all patients referred to a new support service led primarily by non-clinical staff, including social prescribers and work and health coaches.
- Coventry and Warwickshire: GPs issue the first fit note, with patients able to be referred to a support service made up of both clinical and non-clinical staff.
- Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly: GPs refer patients directly to a non-clinical support service, without issuing a fit note.
- Lancashire and South Cumbria: GPs refer patients to a support service made up of both clinical and non-clinical staff, without issuing a fit note.
