Most GPs say they issue sick notes too easily

Research carried out by Doctor and Personnel Today magazines found 80% of doctors do not want the responsibility of writing sicknotes.

Human resource staff estimate a third of sick notes are from malingerers.

The most common reasons for sicknotes given were stress, depression and backache.

Medical certificates are a complete and utter waste of our professional time Dr George Moncrieff, Oxfordshire GP

It is estimated that UK workers take a total of 166 million sick days each year - around 6.8 days per employee.

Employees have to obtain sicknotes from their GP if they are off work for more than seven days.

However, pilot schemes to see if this role can be transferred to companies' own occupational health centres are due to take place as part of the development of a new contract for GPs.

Time pressures

Three hundred GPs and over 1,000 human resources professionals were asked their views about the sicknote system.

Seventy-seven per cent of doctors admitted they issued sicknotes too easily.

Most said patient pressure was to blame, but around a fifth blamed shorter consultation times.

Dr George Moncrieff, a GP at the Bicester Health Centre in Oxfordshire, told the survey: "Medical certificates are a complete and utter waste of our professional time."

Only 7% of human resources professionals did not think GPs issued sicknotes too easily.

Half of the doctors surveyed, and 39% of human resource staff supported the idea occupational health centres taking on the role of issuing sicknotes.

Sicknotes 'on request'

Charles Creswell, managing editor at Doctor magazine, said: "Doctors are incredibly frustrated at the amount of time wasted seeing patients who know they have coughs, colds or other minor ailments but are forced to have written verification by a doctor when they need to take a sick day.

"I know of at least one surgery where signed sicknotes are readily available from reception to avoid the need for any consultation for patients coming in to request sick notes."

Jane King, editor of Personnel Today, said: "The current system clearly isn't working.

"GPs are wasting time diagnosing minor ailments that would otherwise clear up by themselves, while businesses are left open to abuse by malingering employees who abuse the system.