Hundreds Of Gps Tell Bbc They Have Never Refused A Sick Note Over Mental Health Concerns

Hundreds of GPs person told nan BBC they person ne'er refused to motion a sick statement for a diligent complaining of intelligence wellness issues.

BBC News sent a questionnaire to much than 5,000 GPs successful England asking if they had ever denied a sick statement - known arsenic a fresh statement - to personification who had requested 1 because of their intelligence health.

Of nan 752 GPs who replied, 540 said they had ne'er refused specified a request, while 162 told america they had turned astatine slightest 1 down. A smaller number - 50 - said they would for illustration not to say.

Some revealed really disappointment they were pinch nan existent system, saying nan proviso of fresh notes should not beryllium portion of GPs' jobs.

They besides highlighted instances of patients becoming fierce if they were not signed disconnected work. One GP revealed really a diligent had refused to time off nan believe without a fresh note.

We cannot cognize whether nan GPs who responded to nan BBC questionnaire are typical of each family doctors.

It comes arsenic nan number of fresh notes being issued has been steadily rising successful caller years, pinch much than 11.2 cardinal approved by GP practices successful England past year.

BBC study shows that number has accrued by almost 850,000 successful nan past six years.

Fit notes are approved erstwhile personification is unwell aliases cannot activity for much than 7 days. They do not person to specify why a personification is being signed off, and 72% of fresh notes do not springiness a reason.

However, much than 956,000 notes past twelvemonth cited intelligence wellness and behavioural disorders arsenic nan underlying reason, acold exceeding immoderate different condition.

GPs motion nan immense mostly of fresh notes, though nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists are besides capable to rumor them.

Fit notes counsel connected really nan patients' wellness problems effect connected their expertise to activity - and tin thief to entree definite benefits and sick pay.

A diligent tin beryllium declared "not fresh for work" aliases "maybe fresh for work" pinch immoderate adjustments, but astir fresh notes motion group disconnected activity entirely.

The GPs who responded to nan BBC questionnaire besides sent america hundreds of comments.

The astir communal taxable was that signing patients disconnected activity was an unfair task for GPs. One said: "It is difficult to beryllium patient's advocator and a judge."

They talked astir nan existent strategy threatening nan doctor/patient relationship. One told us: "Patients travel for support - not to beryllium dismissed." Another said: "GPs should not beryllium gatekeepers of fittingness to work."

Others called signing group disconnected activity "a soiled task" and based on it was not their occupation to "police nan sick statement system".

Most of nan doctors were keen to constituent retired that they do not needfully motion patients disconnected for arsenic agelong arsenic they request, and alternatively rumor fresh notes for a shorter period.

Some said they explicate to patients that going to activity tin use their intelligence health.

There was a notable disagreement successful nan doctors' attitudes towards patients. Some were unequivocally positive, saying they trusted that patients were honorable pinch them.

But galore pointed retired that it was particularly difficult to garbage clip disconnected for intelligence wellness complaints. One asked: "Who americium I to opportunity I don't judge that personification is struggling pinch their intelligence health? It's not for illustration a thorax infection wherever location is definite impervious of illness."

There were besides plentifulness who were much cynical astir patients' motives, saying they were "not genuine" aliases accused patients of "milking nan system".

Fit statement information is not surgery down by age, but respective GPs felt that younger adults were much apt to inquire for clip disconnected work. One said: "We motion disconnected legions of young patients pinch worry and slump who are rather intelligibly not ill."

Some GPs said they would only motion a fresh statement if they felt it was "medically appropriate" but others admitted it was "not worthy nan grief" aliases "the hassle" to reason pinch patients.

Several pointed retired that it was easier and quicker to motion disconnected a sick statement than to woody pinch a title for refusing.

Some besides described really patients moreover had go aggressive, pinch 1 expert saying: "They reason and fight, we extremity up having to springiness successful for our ain safety." Another added: "It would beryllium insane to situation nan patient."

Last year, a government-commissioned study looking into nan domiciled of employers successful wellness and disablement said that fresh notes were "often problematic". The Keep Britain Working reappraisal noted GPs often did not person nan time, aliases nan occupational wellness training, to afloat measure if personification was capable to activity aliases not.

The study said nan longer a diligent was disconnected sick, nan little apt they were to return to work. If personification was absent for 4-6 weeks, location was a 96% chance of them going back. But that dropped to 50% aft a year, nan study added.

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) said family doctors whitethorn not ever beryllium "the astir due professionals" to supply semipermanent support to alteration patients to return to work.

They should proceed to o.k. fresh notes for up to 3 weeks, its chair Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown said. But she said nan RCGP was unfastened to exploring whether work for longer-term fresh notes should beryllium elsewhere.

The authorities said it was clear nan existent fresh statement strategy needed reforming and that it was testing caller approaches.

A spokesperson said: "We cognize that we request to do much to build a strategy that useful for everyone."

The BBC understands authorities officials are exploring different options, including alleged "stay in/return to work" plans developed pinch businesses and occupational wellness professionals. It is not clear if this would betterment fresh notes, aliases switch them entirely.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is 1 of 60 companies moving pinch officials to spot really this could look.

JLR has group up six "centres of wellbeing" for labor successful nan UK. Some of nan attraction is preventative, including workout classes and NHS wellness checks. But nan inaugural besides helps unit who request support pinch physiotherapy, counselling and occupational health.

Dr Richard Peters, JLR's main aesculapian officer, said firms had "a portion to play" successful supporting group pinch wellness conditions successful work, adding: "It's nan correct point to do because if we person a healthier staff, past we person a much productive workforce."

But location are wider concerns astir really this benignant of thief could beryllium scaled up. Small businesses are already concerned astir incoming changes to statutory sick pay, which will mean they request to salary from nan first time of absence.

Tina McKenzie, from nan Federation of Small Businesses, said: "Proposals to make mini businesses salary for a work to supply occupational wellness advice, arsenic good arsenic fresh notes, would adhd to these costs arsenic good arsenic piling connected other bureaucracy."

Tom Pollard, caput of argumentation and campaigns astatine nan intelligence wellness kindness Mind, said immoderate move towards an replacement strategy needed to beryllium "approached pinch caution" and "built astir trusting and compassionate relationships".

He added: "It is basal that group do not consciousness they are being forced to activity erstwhile they don't consciousness capable to."

Additional reporting by Vicki Loader and Amy Jackson.

Correction 12 March: A erstwhile type of this article stated that occupational wellness therapists are capable to rumor fresh notes. This has been changed to opportunity occupational therapist.