Getty imagesGP surgery in England may advise patients to return to work, including career coaching or exercise classes, as part of a pilot project to reduce the number of people who are ill from work.
Its purpose is to help people return to the workplace so that they need fit notes – known as sick notes.
These health are released by professionals if a patient is unhealthy or cannot work for more than seven days.
A total of £ 1.5M in 15 regions in England is being made available, and will be shared between GP practices in these areas to hire the coach or business doctor to support patients in returning to work.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “It is fundamentally about changing the conversation with ‘you can’t’ ‘how can we help you?”
“When someone is worried about his job in his doctor’s surgery, they should walk out with a plan, not just a piece of paper that closes the doors.”
Training will be offered to health workers to provide work and health advice. People can be pointed to fitness classes or career coaching.
In a case cited by the government, a woman who was closed with a fragmented ankle, was an assessment with a fitness advisor and referred to for a 12-week exercise program with the aim of strengthening the ankle.
The Department of Health and Social Care says that in 11 million fit notes issued electronically in England last year, 93% declared only people “not fit for work”, in which no alternative support was given.
The new scheme extends on an initiative launched in the same 15 areas in the last October, called a workwell, jointly run by departments of work and pension and health and social care.
This includes NHS employees who refer to patients for other services. Workmen, but at risk of leaving, mental health is advised in the workplace.
In the new scheme, those out of work will be sent to services by NHS employees who provide support to find jobs, such as CV and interview technology and contact with employers on appropriate support.
Ministers say that policies are currently part of this move across the government to encourage more people back to work with 2.8 million out of the workforce due to health status.
The Royal College of GPS said that it has recognized the health benefits of being in work and GPS will encourage where it is safe to do so, but said that doctors did not issue fit notes without good reasons.
College President Professor Kamila Hothorn said: “We want to work with the government on this scheme, so it is important that it has not been presented as a punitive remedy for patients.”
Professor Hothorn also stressed that the new scheme should not be punitive even for “hardworking GPS”, which “due to historical underfunding and poor workforce scheme” are performing their best under heavy pressures “,
Workwell is working in 15 English regions and the new fit note will provide £ 1.5M to share among them.
Areas are Birmingham and Solihul; Black country; Bristol, North Somerset and South Glosterushair; Cambrishire and Peteroro; Cornwall and Islands of Skili; Coventry and Warvikshire; Fimle; Hearfordshire and Warsesterushair; Greater Manchester; Lancashire and South Cumbria; Leester, Lessesterreshire and Rutland; North Central London; Northwest London; South Yorkshire; Surrey Heartlands.
