New regulations have been put before Parliament which change the rules on who can sign employees off sick from work. Usually the work of a GP, and limited currently to doctors, the new rules allow other healthcare professionals to provide employees with fit notes for the purposes of statutory sick pay and social security claims.
From 1 July 2022, registered nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists can also sign off fit notes. The aim of the change is to free up GP time so they can see more patients. The BBC quotes the health secretary, Sajid Javid: ‘That’s why we are slashing bureaucracy to reduce GPs workload, so they can focus on seeing patients and giving people the care they urgently need’.
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