GPs should be stripped of fit note work according to ‘Keep Britain Working’, a new independent report commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions.
“GPs and other healthcare professionals are asked to assess both treatment needs and work capacity, despite most lacking occupational health training and time to get into sufficient detail,” wrote authors.
However, they add later, GPs and neighbourhood health services should retain overall clinical responsibility for people struggling to work.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, RCGP chair, said it was the College’s view that GPs and teams should still have the option to continue to issue fit notes up to three weeks, warning that without this condition GPs and patients faced bureaucracy and duplication.
Dr Richard Fieldhouse, NASGP chair, said: “This independent DWP report immediately spotlights the intense pressure GPs are under. I entirely understand why many sessional GPs feel this work is underfunded and would welcome its removal, given the chronic non-clinical demands and workload struggles we face.
“However, the key concern is that while the report suggests stripping GPs of assessment capacity, it states we should still retain overall clinical responsibility. This risks creating major new liabilities for doctors and patients, potentially increasing harm. I agree with Professor Hawthorne that removing the option for GPs to issue fit notes, even for short periods, risks generating unnecessary bureaucracy and duplication for both GPs and patients.
“As we know that GP practices possess the best understanding of their patients’ needs, it is absolutely essential that GPs are consulted extensively on any service redesign to ensure that patient care remains the absolute priority, and we avoid further systemic fracture.”