Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Latest NewsWellbeingOccupational Health

GP survey finds inconsistencies with length of patient sick leave

by Personnel Today 23 Dec 2009
by Personnel Today 23 Dec 2009

GPs are hugely inconsistent in deciding how long people should stay off work, with some signing staff off for much greater periods of time than others.


Research by academics at the University of Manchester found wide variation in how patients were signed off by GPs.


Its survey of 113 GPs within one health trust looked at sickness certification practices after surgery or a heart attack, and found that just one in 20 followed government advice on sick leave.


For hernia operations, for example, some GPs recommended four to six weeks off work, while others recommended one to two weeks.


One-third suggested heart attack patients should be off work longer than the four to six weeks recommended by the Department for Work and Pensions.


Despite the government spending £2m piloting a three-year training programme in workplace health for GPs, which is being run by the Royal College of General Practitioners, almost two-thirds of the GPs polled said they had not been trained in sickness certification.


Those who had been trained received an average of four hours’ training, which raises questions as to how GPs will cope with the added burden of making decisions on fitness to work once the new ‘fit note’ arrives in April.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The research was published in the journal Occupational Medicine.


Study leader Dr Richard Roope said it was important that GPs understood the message that being signed off work could actually be worse for a patient than trying to get them back to work more quickly, as well as being more damaging for the employer and the economy in general.

Personnel Today

previous post
One in 10 workers still to take week’s worth of annual leave
next post
Anglia TV faces unfair dismissal claims over alleged age discrimination

You may also like

Doctors vote for return to strike action

8 Jul 2025

‘Frustrating’ that NHS Plan has overlooked OH, warns...

8 Jul 2025

Four in 10 call centre workers to quit...

8 Jul 2025

Employment Rights Bill set to ban employer NDAs

8 Jul 2025

Young people unprepared for world of work, says...

8 Jul 2025

Empower and engage for the future: A revolution...

7 Jul 2025

Bereavement leave to extend to miscarriages before 24...

7 Jul 2025

One in seven ‘revenge quit’ in latest employee...

7 Jul 2025

Skills shortfall in construction threatens housing target

4 Jul 2025

Company director wins £15k after being told to...

4 Jul 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today