Doctors push for staff to be able to sign themselves off sick

Doctors say staff should not need to provide a sick note to their employers, unless they are absent for over two weeks.

To take the strain off family doctors, leaders of the British Medical Association want the amount of time before a sick employee makes an appointment with a GP to gain sick note to be doubled from one to two weeks.

The doctors’ union wants employers to trust staff who say they are absent due to sickness, without having to provide a medical note.

Appointments made solely for the purpose of getting “fit-notes” take up valuable time where doctors could be treating patients more in need,  according to Dr Richard Vautrey, Deputy Chairman of the BMA’s GP committee.