Wednesday 8 June 2022 10:55 PM Pharmacists and nurses at GPs' clinics will be allowed to sign people off sick ... trends now
PHARMACISTS and nurses will soon be given powers to issue sick notes under reforms that could free up millions of GP appointments.
The law will be changed so patients no longer need to see their family doctor to be signed off work from July 1.
The move is set to ease pressure on GPs and leave them with more time for sicker patients and those with complex issues.
It was not clear last night whether the new powers will apply to pharmacists in high street chains such as Boots or just to healthcare professionals in GP surgeries.
The change comes amid record dissatisfaction with GP surgeries, with many patients frustrated over the struggle to get appointments to see doctors.
Last year GPs issued ten million ‘fit notes’, which have replaced sick notes, and they have been pushing the Government to change the rules so other healthcare professionals can issue them.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said he is exploring the change to improve access to doctors and is lobbying the Department for Work and Pensions
They say the administrative burden adds to their workload, contributes to stress and stops them helping those in need.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid vowed to examine the issue in a bid to improve access to doctors and lobbied the Department for Work and Pensions to make the change.
Legislation is expected to be laid before Parliament tomorrow, with the change applicable to England, Scotland and Wales. It will mean that from next month nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists will be able to legally certify fit notes – something that at present only doctors can do.
The move is the most significant since the fit note’s introduction in 2010 and follows changes in April that allow for them to be certified and issued digitally, making the process more efficient for employees, employers and GPs.
Maria Caulfield, minister for patient safety and primary care, said the move ‘is another step towards helping to deliver an extra 50million appointments in general practice a year by 2024’.
Fit notes are issued to patients after the first seven days of
