Rishi Sunak sets out plans to tackle âsick note cultureâ
-
Published
-
comments
Rishi Sunak wants to strip GPs of their power to sign people off work as part of a plan to tackle what he calls the UKâs âsick note cultureâ.
The prime minister claims benefits have become a âlifestyle choiceâ for some, causing a âspirallingâ welfare bill.
If the Tories win the general election, Mr Sunak wants to make it harder for some patients to obtain a sick note.
Disability charities reacted with anger, with Scope branding the plans âa full-on assault on disabled peopleâ.
They suggested the planned reforms were âdriven by bringing costs down rather than how we support disabled peopleâ.
Labour says the government has ârun out of ideasâ.
In his speech, Mr Sunak said a âworryingâ proportion of younger potential workers were among a record high of 2.8m people out of work as of February 2024.
âThereâs nothing compassionate about leaving a generation of young people to sit alone in the dark before a flickering screen watching as their dreams slip further from reach every single day,â he said.
Mr Sunak also said, if the Conservatives win the general election, those who were still out of work after 12 months after support from a work coach will have âtheir benefits removed entirelyâ.
He denied claims his plans lacked compassion, arguing that there would still be a âsafety netâ for âthose who genuinely need itâ.
But he added: âWe donât just need to change the sick note, we need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do â not what you canât.â
What is a sick note?
Sick notes are officially know as fitness to work notes. They are written evidence that your ill health is affecting your fitness for work. A âfit noteâ certifies a patient is sick, confirming a valid reason for staying off work and eligibility for sick pay.
Why would somebody need a sick note?
Employees can self-certify absence due to illness for seven days and in most cases, qualify for sick pay. But if their illness means they need to be absent for longer, they need a fit note to continue to receive sick pay and also to qualify for some welfare payments.
Who can sign-off a sick note?
GPs used to be the only healthcare professionals able to sign a sick note. In 2022, this was widened to include nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists.
Mr Sunak said not acting would be âirresponsibleâ when he claimed the current ÂŁ17.6bn personal independence payments (PIP) bill is forecast to rise by more than 50% over the next four years.
Part of that change would be more âobjective assessmentâ by unspecified âspecialist work and health professionalsâ rather than GPs, Mr Sunak said, claiming the system is currently being âunderminedâ by âsubjective and unverifiable claimsâ about capability.
The government will launch a consultation on toughening up the eligibility criteria for PIP by demanding âgreater medical evidenceâ about the type and severity of mental health conditions.
âAll of which will make the system fairer and harder to exploit,â said Mr Sunak, adding PIP bank transfers could be replaced by âaccess to treatment like talking therapies or respite careâ.
However, Mr Sunak was unable to provide any details about which âspecialist professionalsâ would be given the job of issuing fit notes and whether they would have to be recruited.
âOngoing onslaughtâ
Richard Kramer, chief executive at disability charity Sense, said the speech was âunbelievably damaging and unhelpfulâ, and falsely portrayed disabled people âas shirkersâ when many want to work but are prevented from doing so by negative attitudes, unfair recruiting practices and a lack of support and equipment.
He accused the government of carrying out an âongoing onslaughtâ against disabled people that was âhard to watchâ.
Dan Scorer, of learning disability charity Mencap, said many people with a learning disability are already struggling to get by on current benefit rates, resulting in them taking extreme actions including skipping meals and not turning on lights or the heating.
âThe government needs to stop demonising disabled people when it is the system that is failing, and ensure that those who need financial support get the right amount,â he said.
NHS data showed almost 11m fit notes were issued last year in England, with 94% of those signed ânot fit for workâ.
A call for evidence will be published on Friday seeking responses from healthcare professionals, employers, and those with lived experiences asking how the current process works and how it can be improved.
âBlaming people who are illâ
The British Medical Association (BMA) said people were struggling to get the treatment they need to be able to return to work because of delays and waiting lists in the NHS.
Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, chairwoman of the BMAâs GP committee, said that rather than âpushing hostile rhetoricâ the prime minister should focus on what is stopping patients from receiving the healthcare they needed which in turn prevented them working.
Dr Chris Jacobs, a GP in Swindon, said it could benefit GPs by having others put in charge of issuing fit notes but said they would need to be trained to deal with physical and mental health.
âWe are a diminishing work force on a full-time equivalent basis so I donât think our time is best spent [filling in fit notes],â he said.
Dr Mohit Mandiratta, a GP partner in Halesowen near Birmingham, said he saw people every day who needed fit notes for medical reasons, with the majority of those being âwholly appropriateâ.
âI certainly see people who, with more support, could do more work and most importantly they want to work,â he said.
He said people needed a personalised approach and may need physical and medical support as well as help with things such as their confidence or interview technique.
âThe reason people are off work is very specific. Itâs not always cut and straight,â he added.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said the PMâs announcement was a âreheated versionâ of something the government announced seven years ago, a reference to a policy announced by then-PM Theresa May in 2017.
This was in contrast to Labourâs âlaser-like focusâ to deal with âthe problem of people getting back into workâ, he added.
âThe big problem here, frankly, is that the government has broken the NHS and waiting lists are up⊠so thatâs where the focus needs to be,â he said, adding: âItâs no good talking about the problem â what we need is action.â
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said the speech was âdesperateâ when millions are unable to access NHS hospitals, GPs and mental health support.
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said the prime minister âshould be fixing the NHS⊠not blaming people who are ill.â
Are you out of work with a sick note? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
- WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803
- Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
- Upload pictures or video
- Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy
If you are reading this page and canât see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.
Related Topics
-
-
Published3 days ago
-