Bridging the chasm

doi:10.1136/bmj.b3971

Published 29 September 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b3971
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b3971

Letters

From sick notes to fit notes

Bridging the chasm

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

As a former manager in a multinational manufacturing company,I find the concept of a fit note laudable.¹ As a medical studentcurrently on elective in occupational health, I can see theresources and knowledge required to make it work is more likebridging a chasm than a gap.

Most of the employers I have spoken to are frustrated with thecurrent sick note system and general practitioners’ readinessto sign people off. Most of the general practitioners I havespoken to are frustrated that they don’t know enough abouta patient’s work content or work environment to do otherwise.This knowledge gap is not surprising—most medical studentsdo not study occupational health—but it should be rectified.Some excellent postgraduate courses are available, but onlyone (at Manchester) allows distance learning. Perhaps the governmentshould encourage general practitioners to complete courses andenter into appropriate dialogue with their patients’ employers.

. . . [Full text of this article]

Ian Buchanan, fifth year medical student¹

¹ Peninsula Medical School, Plymouth PL6 8BU

ian.buchanan@students.pms.ac.uk