New "Fit Notes" introduced from 6 April

31 Mar 2010

Guidance notes available online

From 6 April the current system of doctors issuing sick notes will be replaced by "fit notes".

Guidance notes have been prepared to explain the changes to the system and to the University’s procedures for managing sickness absence:

• Statement of Fitness to Work: Guidance Notes (PDF, 63.2KB)

All staff need to be made aware of their responsibilities if they are issued with a fit note.

The University's Return to Work guidance and forms have also been amended to take account of these changes.

Fit notes will enable doctors to advise whether a patient is unable to work at all, or whether they may be fit for work with some support. They will provide information on how the patient’s condition affects their ability to function and suggest measures that may help them return to work.

The new Government regulations are in response to a report on the health of the workforce ‘Working for a healthier tomorrow’ by Dame Carol Black. The report stressed that work improved people’s physical and mental health and helped them make a faster recovery. The new system is therefore intended to help remove the barriers to people returning to work.