England launches pilot to replace fit notes with work support links

A new government pilot scheme launching in July will fundamentally change how sick leave is managed in England, moving away from general practitioners issuing traditional "fit notes" and toward connecting patients with support services designed to help them stay in or return to work. The trial will run in four regions: Birmingham and Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The initiative aims to overhaul a system that officials describe as broken. Currently, more than 11 million fit notes are issued annually, with over 90 percent declaring a person completely unfit for work. Under the new pilot, the process will be altered. In two of the trial areas, patients will bypass their GP entirely for a fit note and instead be directed to "social prescribers" or other support services who can both issue the note and arrange tailored help. In the other two areas, GPs will still provide an initial fit note but will immediately refer patients for additional support.

This support, delivered through the existing NHS WorkWell programme, can include services like physiotherapy, counselling, career coaching, exercise programmes,...