{"id":1416,"date":"2025-08-20T12:29:36","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T11:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/dauk-engages-with-dwp-on-the-future-of-fit-notes\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T09:50:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T09:50:22","slug":"dauk-engages-with-dwp-on-the-future-of-fit-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/dauk-engages-with-dwp-on-the-future-of-fit-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"DAUK engages with DWP on the future of fit notes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Doctors\u2019 Association UK (DAUK) has taken part in discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about the future of fit notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GP co-leads Dr Sarah Jacques and Dr Steve Taylor attended the meeting on behalf of DAUK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ahead of the talks, DAUK surveyed GPs across the UK on the future of fit notes to ensure their views were represented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fit notes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We asked for their views on whether fit notes should be the remit of GPs, whether a new service should be responsible for them, and whether there should be a return to the Covid plan of four-weeks self certification, GP input after four weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GPs were also asked if they would prefer patients to fully self certify for any illness, and whether refusing a fit not can impact the doctor\/patient relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The survey received 213 responses, which were all anonymised before being shared with the DWP. It found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>69% of GPs said fit notes should not remain part of their remit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>85% felt a new service should take responsibility for issuing fit notes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>46% supported a return to four weeks self-certification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>51% did not favour self-certification by patients<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>94% reported that refusing a fit note negatively affects the doctor\/patient relationship<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr Jacques and Dr Taylor said: \u201cWe are pleased that the voices of our members and of frontline general practice were heard in this important discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Listening to GPs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe welcome the DWP\u2019s willingness to listen to GPs as they look at how fit notes could evolve.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The discussions come as the Government undertakes a new pilot scheme to reform the way fit notes are issued. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/boost-for-gp-practices-to-help-people-back-to-work\">WorkWell Primary Care Innovation Fund<\/a> is backed by \u00a31.5 million across 15 regions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Government says the pilot scheme will look to find other ways to help people back into work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pilot scheme<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DAUK\u2019s GP committee member Dr Rosie Shire spoke on national radio about the scheme when it was launched last month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking on LBC, Dr Shire challenged assertions GPs \u2018immediately write people off with a fit note\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said: \u201cWe want people to work and people do want to work, and that\u2019s really important.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DAUK\u2019s GP committee will continue to engage with members and represent their views on this and other issues around general practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please support our work by <a href=\"https:\/\/dauk.org\/membership\/\">joining DAUK<\/a> or donating to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/support-the-work-of-the-doctors-association-uk-dauk\">our GoFundMe<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Doctors\u2019 Association UK (DAUK) has taken part in discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about the future of fit notes. GP&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,59],"tags":[426,656,22,710,304,711],"class_list":["post-1416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dauk-news","category-general-practice","tag-dr-rosie-shire","tag-dr-sarah-jacques","tag-dr-steve-taylor","tag-fit-notes","tag-gp-committee","tag-sick-notes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1416"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2320,"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1416\/revisions\/2320"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dauk.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}