Manufacturers are calling on the Government to convene a summit of employers and the medical profession to agree measures to tackle sickness absence, on the back of a survey showing that employers have “lost faith in the Government’s flagship ‘fit note’ scheme”, which has replaced the old ‘doctor’s note’ (GPs can choose one of two options: ‘the employee is fit to work’ or the employee is not fit for work’. The ‘fit note’ also allows the GP to give employers more information about how an employee’s condition affects his ability to work, without breaking any rules of doctor-patient confidentiality).

The EEF’s 2013 sickness absence survey suggests that improvements seen in recent years have now ‘plateaued’ and that further progress will only be made through concerted action to tackle longer-term absence from work. Progress in reducing sickness absence has stalled, despite a growing number of companies taking action through return-to-work interviews, line-manager training and providing occupational health programmes.

In this context, the EEF is becoming increasingly concerned that the ‘fit note’ is failing to deliver on its objectives. The survey found that only 26% of employers believe that it has resulted in employees returning to work earlier, while 40% said that it has not. Meanwhile, more companies disagree than agree that the advice given by GPs about employees’ fitness for work has improved.

Terry Woolmer, head of health-and-safety policy at the EEF, said: “The Government needs to sit down with employers and the medical profession to understand what is holding up progress and agree a way forward. This must include a ‘step change’ in the number of GPs being trained to use the ‘fit note’.”