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Scheme to Trial Scrapping Fit Notes to Get People Back to Work
The four pilots will test GP-led and non-clinical referrals, with up to 100,000 appointments and £3 million in funding.
- The Government announced a new trial across four locations in England to overhaul the "broken" fit-note system, referring patients to support services for personalized "return to work" plans instead of simply issuing sick notes.
- More than 11 million fit notes were issued last year, fueling concerns about a "sick-note culture" that the Government describes as a "tick-box exercise" excluding recipients from further employment support.
- Backed by £3m of funding, the four pilot schemes cover up to 100,000 appointments over the next year, with patients in two areas bypassing GPs entirely to be assessed by social prescribers who can issue fit notes.
- Care minister Stephen Kinnock said the pilots mark "the beginning of the end for that broken system," though Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown of the Royal College of GPs warned reforms must be "fully resourced" to avoid burdening clinicians.
- The programme aligns with the Government's 10 Year Health Plan and integrates with the NHS WorkWell scheme, which provides tailored services such as physiotherapy and counselling to keep people connected to their workplaces.
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26 Articles
Stoke SentinelReposted by 
One News Page
One News PageNew DWP 'sick note' rules being trialled in four areas of UK
It is trying to cut the number of benefit claimants off work
·Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources26
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center20Last UpdatedBias Distribution87% Center
Bias Distribution
- 87% of the sources are Center
87% Center
C 87%
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