- ‘Self-certification’ system of sicknotes for up to 14 days has been proposed
- At the moment, GP’s note is needed after a week off work to give employer
- Move was called for by doctors at British Medical Association conference
- If representatives vote in favour, union will lobby for a change in the law
- But critics say system will become a ‘skivers’ charter’ and be abused
Sophie Borland Health Editor For The Daily Mail
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Patients should be allowed to sign themselves off sick for two weeks without needing a GP’s note, leading doctors have demanded.
They believe employees can be trusted to declare themselves as ‘unfit’ for work and said writing out the letters takes too much time.
Today up to 500 doctors who are representatives of the British Medical Association will vote on implementing a ‘self-certification’ system of sicknotes for up to 14 days at their annual conference in Belfast.
If they rule in favour, the union will then lobby the Department of Work and Pensions for a change in the law.
Doctors believe employees can be trusted to declare themselves as ‘unfit’ for work and said writing out the letters takes too much time
But campaigners warned that the system would become a ‘skivers’ charter’ with patients signing themselves off to have a two week holiday or if they felt mildly unwell.
Currently, patients can be off work for a maximum of one week before needing a sick note for a doctor to send to their employer.
Their GP undertakes a physical examination and discusses the illness or complaint before writing out a form stating they are not fit to work, to ensure they are still paid.
But sickness absence already costs the economy £15 billion a year which includes paying staff who are at home and the loss of productivity.
The average public sector employee has 9.1 working days off sick a year, which is nearly a fortnight once weekends are taken into account.
Private sector workers take half this amount – an average of just 5.7 days.
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Today’s vote is being put forward by the agenda committee, a panel representing some of the most senior members of the BMA,
It states that ‘certification’ of sick notes – now known as fitness to work notes – ‘need not be done by medical professional’ and should be extended to 14 days.
The motion also states that if patients want to be off for longer than two weeks, they should be signed off by midwives, nurses or paramedics – not GPs.
But Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern said: ‘Two weeks’ off work without a sicknote is far too much – that sounds to me like a skiver’s charter.
‘The real problem is getting to see a GP, it’s hard to do that in a week or a fortnight.
‘I certainly don’t think nurses should be able to stand in and sign notes.’
Neil Carberry, director of employment and skills at the Confederation of British Industry, said: ‘When someone is sick enough to be off work for a week, they should try to see a doctor.
‘Self-certification is only appropriate for short-term absences, when a doctor’s visit may not be required.’
Patients can be off work for one week before needing a sick note from a doctor to send to their employer
Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chair of the BMA’s GP committee said: ‘We just have to trust people to do the right thing.
‘It’s about empowering patients and trusting patients and reducing unnecessary appointments with GPs.
‘If you’ve got a patient who very clearly has an illness that is going to last ten days to two weeks, why do they need to make an appointment with a GP just to get that note to tell their employer what their employer probably knows already and what the patient should be trusted to be able to pass on?
‘This is just a motion that is trying to do something to reduce the unnecessary appointments that GPs have and thereby increase the number of appointments that are available for people who genuinely do need to see a GP.’
‘The vast majority of people want to work, they don’t want to be off work for significant amounts of time.
‘If people are just needing those extra few days why waste a GP appointment when it’s not necessarily needed?’
Surgeries are struggling to cope with the combined pressures of migration, the aging population and a recruitment crisis of family doctors.
Many patients have to wait three weeks for an appointment or queue up outside at dawn for a same-day slot.
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