Posted: Tuesday 22 November 2011
Doctors To Encourage Patients To Return To Work
It is often said that working is beneficial for an individual’s physical health and mental wellbeing; in fact, some past studies have even suggested that being out of work can decrease your life expectancy (see, for example the 2006 independent report ‘Is Work Good for your Health and Well-being?) Despite all this, I suspect that most people seldom consider the health benefits to be derived from working. I noticed an article published recently on the Guardian website however which suggests that the topic is now being given some further consideration.
The article comments on the new draft guidance on Good Medical Practice of the General Medical Council (GMC), the independent regulator of doctors in the UK. Interestingly, as the article reports, the guidance indicates that doctors should encourage patients, including those with long-term illnesses, to stay in or return to work. According to the guidance, this forms part of a doctor’s role to support patients “in caring for themselves to empower them to improve and maintain their health.”
Although the guidance affords doctors a degree of flexibility when it comes to assessing their patients’ fitness for work, the emphasis clearly appears to be upon the notion that, where possible, efforts should be made to encourage individuals back to work.
The guidance is still currently under review and is due to be published next year. As the article reports, the changes are controversial given that they are occurring against a backdrop of Government efforts to reduce the number of individuals on incapacity benefit. Notwithstanding this, it seems inevitable that the guidance could have practical consequences for both employers and employees if GPs become less willing to provide sick lines to employees.
As the article states, some believe that this aspect of the guidance is consistent with the approach which doctors take already. However, I know of many employers who would disagree.
That said, if the proposals from a Government backed review come to fruition then the matter may be taken out of GPs hands, at least in respect of long term absences – see GPs Should Not Sign Off Long-Term Sick from the BBC News website.
One of the key elements of long term absence management is to ensure that full consideration is given to the medical position and also the question of reasonable adjustments, as required by the Equality Act if the employee has a disability. Even if an individual does not have a disability an employer should still consider any steps they can take to assist an employee’s early return to work from long term sick leave such as a phased return to work, reduced working hours, physical adjustments to the employee’s work station or the premises etc.
If you have found this post interesting please share it with your online community using the share button. Thank you.
