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NINE MILLION BOGUS
SICK-NOTES REQUESTED EACH YEAR
DOCTORS get 22 million requests for sick-notes every year - and they
estimate that nine million of these are suspect, according to a new
report.
Norwich Union Healthcare's latest 'Health of the Nation Index' found
that doctors think almost a quarter of the 577 requests for sick-notes
they each get yearly are questionable, at best, and nearly a fifth of
them are invalid.
And nearly three million workers across the country admit they'd
consider asking their GP for a bogus sick-note - with twice as many men
than women saying they'd cheat the system.
Over a fifth of the GP panel interviewed as part of Norwich Union
Healthcare's 'Health of the Nation Index' say that up to 20 per cent of
their patients are unable to work due to health reasons.
But many GPs think that the numbers of people on sick-leave could be
reduced if it wasn't for delays in treatment, and if organisations
arranged to have their employee back to work in a different capacity.
Dr Ann Robinson, one of the GPs who took part in the Norwich Union
Healthcare research says: "GPs want to treat genuinely ill patients
and don't want to act as policemen, identifying those who are claiming
bogus sick notes.
Employers need to be more flexible
with their workforce and hospital services need to provide fast track
diagnostic and treatment centres so people can get back to work as
quickly as possible. It's well known that the longer you're off work,
the harder it is to get back."
And four in 10 of the GP panel, interviewed by independent medical
research specialists Dr Foster for Norwich Union Healthcare, think more
than a third of their patients who are unable to work, could actually
work a few hours a day, or in a slightly different role, but that
employers just aren't encouraging them to return to work.
The most frequent causes for sick-note requests are:
1. Back
pain
2. Depression
3. Work-place
stress
4. Other stress
related problems
5. Flu
The findings are part of Norwich Union Healthcare's third 'Health of the
Nation Index', now entering its second year, which looks at GPs' views
of the health service. The
Index also reveals:
* Patients in
Scotland
outdo the rest of the country by 2:1 - Scottish GPs receive 1,013
requests for sick-notes a year on average
* Doctors in
East Anglia
receive the least requests in the
UK
, at 286 per year
* Over-eating is seen
as the most damaging dietary habit affecting patients' health
* The GP panel thinks
better public education about the impact of poor diet on health would be
most effective in reducing this impact
* Nearly half (48%) of
GPs say at least a third of their time is spent on social, rather than
medical issues - 70% of those questioned don't think the profession is
adequately equipped to deal with these.
Research amongst workers also revealed the top five reasons they'd give
to get a sick note:
1. Embarrassment
ie. personal crisis they couldn't tell their employer about
2. Workplace
is too stressful
3.
Holiday
request refused or didn't want to use their holiday entitlement
4.
Fatigue
5. Gave me
a legitimate excuse to skive off work
Dr Doug Wright, clinical development manager at Norwich Union Healthcare
adds: "One of the main themes of the report is how much time
doctors devote to matters other than medical ones in their surgery, and
that they're not feeling adequately equipped to deal with these issues.
"Their view is that if patients were to educate themselves more
about their condition, as well as the other forms of support available,
this could not only reduce the numbers attending their surgery, but will
actually benefit patients' health, long-term.
And of course, the added benefit of this is that GPs will be free
to spend more time with patients who genuinely need their medical
attention."
Roger Taylor, research director at Dr Foster said: "More work is
needed to understand how social support could help people cope better
with the stresses of life, improve their health and lifestyle and reduce
unnecessary burdens on the health service".
Full details of the Health of the Nation Index report can be accessed
at www.healthofthenation.com
(28/4/04)
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