Has use of the fit note changed since reform in July 2022?
July 2022 saw legislative change allowing a wider range of healthcare professionals to authorise fit notes.
The majority of workers in England do not have access to occupational health services. Fit notes can be an important backstop to help prevent long term sickness absence. Fit notes allow healthcare professionals to suggest adjustments and advice to help keep somebody in work while living through a period of ill health, to the advantage of the worker, the employer and society.
Once off sick for four weeks, one in five people will never return to work.
Once off sick for six months, ONLY one in five people will ever return to work.
Yet, almost 95% of the time, fit notes are used as sick notes, signing people off work altogether.
And with more people economically inactive due to long term sickness than ever before, we need to find ways to improve workforce retention.
Fit note data from July to September 2022 has just been published by NHS Digital
There was a 10% increase in fit notes issued July- September 2022 compared to the same period in 2021
There has NOT been a notable difference in use of the ‘may be fit for work’ section despite the reforms in July 2022
95% of the time, the fit note is still being used as a ‘sick note’.
The UK government is looking to reform the social security system to help people who have been economically inactive due to long term sickness back into work.
Instead we need to find ways of supporting people so they do not end up requiring long term sickness absence in the first place.
Finding ways of improving use of the fit note should be a part of this but will not be effective in isolation.