Mims Davies MP & Minister for Disabled People launches Fit Note reform: Call for Evidence

We are gathering evidence to assess the impact of the current fit note process in supporting work and health conversations and exploring the enhancements stakeholders would require for the fit note to better support people to start, stay and succeed in work. We welcome all views, particularly from:

• employers
• healthcare professionals
• patients, carers and those who access fit notes
• representatives of local systems or local system partners (for example, local authority, integrated care board and voluntary community social enterprise)
• interested academics and stakeholder organisations.

You can respond on behalf of an organisation or as an individual. The easiest way to participate in this call for evidence is by completing this online form.

This call for evidence is part of a wider suite of activity to reform the fit note and will act as a prelude to a full consultation on specific policy proposals which will be launched later this year.

"A healthy economy is only possible with a healthy workforce. As well as providing an income, work enhances mental and physical health, enriches community life, and provides purpose," said Ms Davies.

"This government is dedicated to fostering long-term prosperity and economic growth, and we want to establish a strong and resilient labour market that opens up opportunities for all. Building on the ambitious £7 billion employment package announced at the spring budget in 2023, the government announced its new Back to Work Plan at the autumn statement, which will expand the employment support and treatment available and reform the ways that disabled people and people with disabilities interact with the state. However, there is still work to be done.

"While the UK’s economic inactivity rate is lower than the G7, EU and OECD averages, following the COVID pandemic, economic inactivity due to long term sickness rose by nearly half a million. Long term sickness is now the main cause of economic inactivity amongst the working age population. But timely access to the right type of joined-up work and health support can prevent people with health conditions from falling out of work and give them the best chance of remaining, and thriving in work.

"Across England in primary care 93.8% of fit notes were issued as ‘not fit for work'. This means that over 10 million fit notes each year are issued where the patient is simply signed off, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.

"All too often, people are written off work without an objective assessment of what they could do with the right support, rather than what they cannot.

"That is why we set out our plans to reform the fit note process in last year’s autumn statement. We want to facilitate timely patient access to specialised work and health conversations and support. We are testing shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from primary care and reforming the way fit notes are issued so that people who can stay in work, or return to work sooner with the right help, are given exactly that. This will not only help create a system better tailored to an individual’s health and work needs but should also free up valuable time for GPs and primary care teams.

"Collaboration is key to achieving our ambitions. The fit note is part of a much bigger work and health picture. Healthcare professionals, employers, local authorities, the public and government all have a part to play. This call for evidence is an opportunity to seek your views and experiences of the current fit note process; how it supports work and health conversations, but also the challenges and the enhancements that would better support people to start, stay, and succeed in work. Please provide your views and ideas to inform these trials and our plans for wider fit note reform.

"A preventative healthcare system that integrates work and health services locally will support our vision to improve patient health outcomes, reduce health disparities, and help people get access to the support they need to return to and remain in work.

Together, we can help build a healthier and more prosperous society for everyone."

Mims Davies MP, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work

Helen Whately MP, Minister for Care