See a specialist for a 'fit note'

Original: See a specialist for a 'fit note'

Sickness is a big problem for many of the UK's employers with many days lost each year costing them significant amounts of money. A new government scheme is aiming to try and get people back to work in a shorter time but it seems that it may have its flaws. The plans to introduce 'fit notes' mean that a GP can issue a list of jobs that a person is able to carry out safely without making their illness any worse meaning that they can return to work even if not fully recovered. However, one expert, BUPA medical director Dr. Andrew Vallance-Owen, has suggested that GPs are ill-equipped to carry out this health assessment and it is just another added pressure on their already limited time. Not only will this mean that it could be even harder for a person to get an appointment with their doctor but their fit note could be inaccurate. People m irds of employers think occupational health specialists are better equipped to deal with 'fit notes' than GPs.