Category: Health and Safety for Contractors

The scrapping of the sick note system, which has been in use since the creation of the NHS in 1948, will put the onus on employers to get freelance contractors and other staff back to work following an absence caused by illness, it has been said.

Fit notes, which come into effect today (April 6th), require doctors to detail the duties workers can carry out, rather than simply ruling them out of their job altogether for a period of time.

The British Medical Association (BMA) welcomed the scheme and explained that this means employers will have to accommodate those who can still do parts of their work.

Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's GP's committee, commented: "The responsibility will be on employers to act: if a GP decides their patient is capable of some form of work ... then it will be down to the employer to be flexible enough to accommodate them."

Posted by Sarah Putt