GPs told to stop handing out sick notes and start sending people to job coaches and gyms
GPs will be ordered to stop handing out millions of “sick notes” that sign people off work and instead send them to job coaches or secure gym memberships.
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The Government has announced a new pilot scheme aimed at getting millions of sick people back to work at scrambles to tackle the growing benefits bill.
GP surgeries across 15 regions will be given funding to offer specialist support to patients alongside sick notes, instead of signing them off.
The WorkWell primary care scheme is backed by £100,000 per region, and it part of a broader £64 million WorkWell scheme.
It comes after more than 11 million “fit notes” were issued by the NHS last year. That's up from 5.3 million in 2015.
Up to 93 per cent of these people were declared “not fit for work” with no alternative in place to help them find work.
Surgeries will have dedicated teams to help people find a job.
Family doctors will collaborate with employment coaches who can assist patients with writing CVs and cover letters.
Social prescribing workers will be able patients to support including gym memberships and gardening classes.
They will also help connect patients with charities who help with issues including debt management and housing.
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Announcing the plans, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said “we simply can’t afford to keep writing people off”.
“Some 2.8 million people are out of work due to health conditions — this is bad for patients, bad for the NHS, and bad for the economy.
"The sick society we inherited costs taxpayers eye-watering sums — we simply can’t afford to keep writing people off," he said.
He added that the pilot marks the "end of a broken system" that's been failing patients and holding back our economy for far too long".
Mr Streeting continued: "Right now, we’re issuing 11 million fit notes a year, with 93 per cent simply dismissing people as ‘not fit for work’ — that’s not healthcare, that’s a bureaucratic dead end.“We’re changing this conversation.
"Instead of GPs spending precious time rubber-stamping people out of the workforce, we’re supporting providers to bring in specialists — occupational therapists, work coaches, social prescribers — who can actually help people navigate back into employment while managing their health conditions.”
This forms part of Labour's Plan for Change, as the government moves from a system that "manages sickness to one that promotes health, work and prosperity”, he said.
It comes after a wider £64 million WorkWell scheme was launched by the government in October last year.
The programme brings together tailored support including physiotherapy and counselling for those out of work or at risk becoming unemployed.
It also come after the government unveiled a series of welfare reforms, which faced huge backlash and prompted to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to make a series of concessions so the bill could pass the Commons.
Announcing the reforms, he said: "We've found ourselves in a worst of all worlds situation - with the wrong incentives - discouraging people from working, the taxpayer funding a spiralling bill."
A Government spokesperson said at the time: "The current welfare system is broken, and we are working to make it fairer for the taxpayer.
"Our reforms to health and disability benefits will genuinely support people back into work, while putting the welfare system on a more sustainable footing so the safety net is always there to protect those who need it most.
"Through our 10-year health plan, we will also tackle health inequalities and shift healthcare from sickness to prevention to support more people to live healthier lives for longer, regardless of background."
This week, opposition leader Kemi Badencoh called for tougher restrictions on benefits to cut the welfare bill, as she said the "state shouldn't be the first place you go to for support".
In a speech on Thursday, the Conservative Party Leader set out her plans to bring down the state's welfare bill.
"Getting the welfare bill down is not an impossible task but it requires conviction and the courage to make difficult choices," she said.
She recognised that support should be there for those who most need it, such as people with really challenging disabilities or people who work hard all their life but lose their job suddenly.
Mrs Badenoch specifically attacked the policy allowing foreign nationals to claim sickness benefits, saying someone should pay in to the system and receive citizenship before unlocking sickness benefits.
Government forecasts suggest annual spending on health and disability benefits could reach £70 billion by 2030.
Other projections suggest the figure could go as high as £100 billion, while the Office for Budget Responsibility has warned that failing to cut the rate at which people take up benefits could cost an extra £12 billion.