GPs will be required to tell the employers of sick patients what tasks they can perform in a new “well note” designed to reduce the number of people on incapacity benefit. The Health Secretary, will soon prepare the ground for controversial changes, saying that family doctors need to “change our sick-note culture into a well-note culture”. A new “well note” risks inflaming GPs, already angry over demands that they improve access, but insist they are not being asked to police Britain’s benefit system. The Health Secretary is speaking before the publication of a report by the National Director for Health and Work that recommends a series of measures to keep workers in their jobs when they become ill. A new version of the sickness certificate used by doctors and recognised by benefits agencies and employers is being prepared. It will encourage GPs to offer fitness-to-work advice to patients and employers.
The Times