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Wednesday 23 May 2012

GPs face sick note rush on pensions strike day

By Ed Davie | 14 Nov 2011

NHS Employers has advised all trusts to require staff off sick on the day of the pension strike to obtain a note from their GP, to certify they are ill and not taking industrial action.

It could mean GPs are inundated on 30 November with health service colleagues requesting sick notes to avoid having their pay docked, with an estimated 45,000 NHS employees off ill every day.

GPC negotiator Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: ‘This is totally inappropriate and will inevitably reduce access to patients. The point of self-certification was to avoid this kind of use of GP time. This is setting the clock back.

‘It will be on a day when we have real constraints with staff off on strike. The DH should look at the consequences of this advice.'

Trusts approached by Pulse said they intended to follow the advice. A spokesperson for the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals said: ‘We do not normally require a medical note on day one of sickness absence. However, we need to ensure are paid appropriately.

‘We have taken legal advice and have spoken to other local trusts and understand this position is likely to be adopted throughout England.'

Dr Andrew Mimnagh, a GP in Waterloo, Merseyside, and chair of Sefton LMC, said the policy was ‘totally inappropriate': ‘I will be reminding practices unless a treatment need exists there is no contractual obligation to see the patient that day.'

NHS Employers said it had issued the advice but it was for trusts to decide on a ‘a case by case basis'.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Anonymous, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

This is appalling. No GP should be issuing such a note when a patient is clearly fit and well.

Average (3Votes)

Anonymous, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

I feel like a social policeman - can I wear a helmet?

Average (1Vote)

Anonymous, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

Absolutely fine NHS Employers: I will ensure that I bill you, the employer, for a private sick note.

Average (6Votes)

Anonymous, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

just say no to sick note , not aware that we are obliged to give one .

Average (3Votes)

Daryl Mullen, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

There is no obligation on GPs to provide sick notes until 7 days absence so lets make it perfectly clear to NHS Employers your policy will not work, it is for the employer to police short term absences not GPs

Average (2Votes)

mark Aley, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

as per the others above: The law -as i understand it- is that ppl could self certify… if the emplyers require a med-3 this should be charged (and invoiced) for as it is tantamount to seeking a medical opinion for abscence (in other words this is an occupational health assessement), unlike the continuing abscence (over a week0 that the med 3 should be used for .

Average (2Votes)

Manmohan Singh, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

this is dictatorship.

Average (1Vote)

Jonathan Harte, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

Typical NHS employers b###**ks (as Prof Field might say).
GPs are not obligated to give a sick note for absence of 1 day.
Complete waste of scarce NHS resources
As Dr Mullen correctly pointed out it is for employers to police absence not GPs.

Average (4Votes)

Susan Stockdale, Hospital nurse,

14 Nov 2011

Aren't you making an assumption that the patient is skiving?

Average (3Votes)

Paul Joshi, GP,

14 Nov 2011

Susan , GP`s are NOT obliged to give sck note for sickness less than 1 week. Employees should be self certifying for that period . There are exceptions but I dont want to mention it for the lazy who cant work and cant even be bothered to say why.
The local LMC letter and bill for £40 to£60 to the patient for a private sicknote will do the remedy.

Average (2Votes)

Michele Cameron, Other GP,

14 Nov 2011

Med 3 sicknotes are for sickness lasting more than 7 days and are given because of statutory sick pay rules. These are routinely used in NHS work.
Private sick notes are given whenever a GP and a patient agree that there is illness requiring time off from work [usually for fewer than 7 days and where an employer asks for it] but there is no upper or lower limit on number of days.
Private sick notes are chargeable at whatever rate the GP decides.
People who are off sick for the strike period but not qualifying for Med 3, may with the agreement of the GP, pay for and recieve a private note.
It would seem to me that unless the patient is very ill there will be little reason the make an appointment with a GP and use NHS time and so the DH would do better to arrange their own sickness certification service on the day.

Average (2Votes)

Anonymous, Practice Manager,

14 Nov 2011

Patients will be advised to send in self certificate to employers - as stated above the GPs are not obliged to offer a med 3 until day 7 of illness. Another idea cooked up in some board room or other issuing guidance about something they know naff all about -

Average (2Votes)

Peter Rice, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

Just say no! In an empathetic and supportive way of course

Average (0Votes)

Vinci Ho, GP Partner,

14 Nov 2011

Let's get the logic right.
The patient is 'ill' on 30/11/2011 and come to see GP
GP gives him or her a sick note for that day
The patient actually strikes for the pension reforms
The media then brands the GP helping the patient to lie and cheat for taxpayer's money
Master Yoda's bal**cks ,my friend

Average (0Votes)

Julian Hall, GP Partner,

15 Nov 2011

As others have said, it is not the responsibility of GP's to police absence during industrial action. It is a managerial problem-not a medical one. Managers have a responsibility to manage when dealing with short term episodes of absence-they should not be allowed to off load their role onto GP's-it is totally irrisponsible of NHS employers to advise their trusts to do this. Do not give in to these innapropriate demands. It will compromise the services for patients who do actually need medical care.

Average (0Votes)

Charlotte Ferriday, GP Partner,

18 Nov 2011

We could refuse to write private sick notes as part of our support of the action on Wed 30/11 maybe. I don't want our duty doctor appointments taken with sick health service employees- it beggars belief!

Average (0Votes)

susanne Stevens, Other healthcare professional,

29 Nov 2011

Blimey! what would david freud have to say about these BENEFIT CHEATS?!! will they find fraud investigators banging on their doors early one frosty morning........

Average (0Votes)

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