BMJ  2004;328:461 (21 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7437.461-b

Letter

Sickness certification system in the United Kingdom

Medical certificates are challenging but essential part of job

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—No one is in a better position to issue a sickness certificate than a general practitioner.1 He or she has the information at hand and sometimes good knowledge of the patient. Independent examination would be an unmanageable system with constant requests for the general practitioner's opinion and records.

My role in sickness certification has made me realise that general practitioners are not patient advocates but an essential part of society's machine. People need somewhere to go when they are ill or believe themselves to be ill or even if they are swinging the lead. As general practitioners we are an essential part of the system that tries to ensure people are using the country's resources appropriately. The government drops our gatekeeping role at its peril.

The ability to negotiate a sick note and to know how to balance what is best for the patient—for example, perhaps not adopting . . . [Full text of this article]

Graeme Mackenzie, general practitioner

Whitehaven CA28 7RG graeme.mackenzie@gp-a82041.nhs.uk


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Relevant Article

Sickness certification system in the United Kingdom: qualitative study of views of general practitioners in Scotland
Susan Hussey, Pat Hoddinott, Phil Wilson, Jon Dowell, and Rosaline Barbour
BMJ 2004 328: 88. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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