GPs set to stop issuing sick notes under new trial

It is believed to be aimed at getting more people back to work.

The scheme, part of a wider effort to reduce the number of people claiming sickness-related benefits, will refer patients to social prescribers based in GP surgeries instead of issuing a fit note.

According to The Times, social prescribers will be able to recommend alternative routes back to employment, including exercise programmes and career coaching.

More than 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with almost all recipients declared “not fit for work,” effectively excluding them from further employment support.

Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, along with musculoskeletal problems like back pain, remain the leading causes of long-term absence from work.

GPs, nurses, and pharmacists can currently sign fit notes.

The pilot forms part of four new trials being launched across England in July by the Government, each taking a different approach to reducing the number of people signed off work for long periods.

In two of the trials, patients will bypass GPs entirely and be assessed by social prescribers, who will be able to issue fit notes and connect them with targeted support.

The other two trials will involve an initial GP consultation before referral to additional services.

These efforts come amid rising concern about what has been described as a “sick-note culture,” which some believe is holding back economic growth and inflating the cost of sickness-related welfare.

The programme will operate alongside the Government’s WorkWell scheme, introduced nationally in October 2024, which provides tailored support such as physiotherapy and counselling.

Under the scheme, individuals with depression might receive career advice or help finding flexible work, while someone recovering from an injury could be referred to physiotherapy or given a gym pass instead of being signed off work entirely.

In February 2025, 24 million people in the UK were claiming some form of benefit, including the state pension.

Of those, 10 million were of working age, and 800,000 were under the age of 16.

Universal Credit claimants recently reached a record high of 8.3 million.

The new approach represents the first major overhaul of the sick note system since sick notes were first introduced in 2010.

A separate scheme launching in November will give patients access to financial advisers or fitness coaches instead of being signed off work without further support.

Officials hope that by providing more holistic support, people struggling with health issues can be assisted back into the workforce rather than being left on long-term sickness benefits.

Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Let us know in the comments