86 percent of London GPs are concerned about patient ‘fit notes’
Today, Monday 12 October, Londonwide LMCs announces that less than 10 percent of the Capital’s GPs feel confident that they could complete the new style ‘fit notes’ that the Government proposes to introduce in the spring of 2010.
86 percent of the capital’s GPs are concerned about the implementation of a ‘fit note’ that would see them having to make judgements about complex areas of their patients working lives that they have little or no knowledge of. To date, a staggering 96 percent of GPs have received no training regarding the new ‘fit note’ system and nearly three quarters do not think that the new system will be manageable in terms of both time and resources.
Over whelming, 95 percent of GPs do not feel that they are the appropriate person to complete fit notes and 81 percent believe that this role sits with occupational health doctors who are best able to make these complex judgements about a patient’s ability to work in certain roles.
Dr Michelle Drage, joint chief executive of Londonwide LMCs, says: “We are our patients’ advocates and taking on this role would jeopardise that relationship. 95 percent of GPs in London don’t think that they are the appropriate person to complete these fit notes, which the Government propose to put in place by next spring. Making judgements about a person’s ability to do certain types of work and not others has always been the role of the occupational health sector and over 81 percent of GPs feel that this sector remains best placed to make these judgements.”
Dr Drage adds: “We are here to make assessments about our patients’ illnesses, not divert our scarce resources into running an occupational health service for employers at our patients’ and the tax payers’ expense. We hope the Government will rethink this proposal in the interest of patient care.
“There are elements of this that may benefit all parties – patients, GPs and employers, but it needs really serious reworking with the profession.”
More information about this survey, and further comments from Londonwide LMCs and London GPs, can be seen tonight on BBC London’s Inside Out, on BBC One.
End
Notes to editor:
- Further comment regarding this survey is available from Dr Michelle Drage or Dr Tony Stanton, joint chief executives of Londonwide LMCs, or Sue Broome, director of communications Londonwide LMCs
- The survey was completed by 452 GPs across London during September 2009
- For further information on Londonwide LMCs log on to www.lmc.org.uk
- If you have any general media queries please contact Hannah Millard on hmillard@lmc.org.uk / 020 7387 2034 x239 or Sue Broome on sbroome@lmc.org.uk / 0207 387 2034 x 238
- Londonwide LMCs is the confederation for the capital’s 6000+ GPs and practice teams, providing support, advice and guidance to individual GPs, plus London’s 24 Local Medical Committees
- Dr Michelle Drage and Dr Tony Stanton are joint Chief Executives at Londonwide LMCs