Home » Legal developments » National legislation » Great Britain: GPs no longer only medical professional who can certify employee ‘sick notes’ Great Britain: GPs no longer only medical professional who can certify employee ‘sick notes’ Through . Published on 06 July 2022 à 10h23 - Update on 06 July 2022 à 11h47 Resources In addition to regular general practitioners, as of 01 July nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists will be able to certify fit notes, i.e. the certificate required to provide evidence to employers about an employee’s absence spanning more than seven consecutive working days. In this way the government, which prompted the change, is hoping to smooth the bureaucratic burden on employees as well as to encourage their return to the office in so far as the new digital certificates provided by from the certifying medical professional include precise information on how to support and maintain the employee at work and/or to enable the employee’s prompt return to work. Chloe Smith, Minister for Disabled People, said: “Having a health condition doesn’t have to take you out of a job. This change will make it easier for people and employers to get the advice they need so people can stay in work, whilst also reducing bureaucracy and freeing up doctors’ time.HR experts believe that the new system could lead to a fall in absenteeism rates. Abigail Maino, a partner in the employment team at law firm DMH Stallard said, “If employees are able to receive an assessment from a more specialist healthcare professional such as a physiotherapist, then it would be hoped that more tailored advice can be given in via the fit note, reducing the time an employee is absent.” Need more info ? Contact mind's on-demand study service Which service do you want to contact :WritingCommercial serviceTechnical SupportFirst name Last name Organization Function email* Object of the message Your messageCommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Essentials Les dernières publications Supporting parenthood in the workplace: a win-win strategy Supporting employee carers: a CSR challenge Analyzes Les dernières publications Paternity leave: data observations from 41 countries EU: during H1 2022 five EU Member States have raised their minimum salary levels