Sick notes vary wildly in time given off

It appears that there is a wide variation in the time patients are signed off for by different GPs across the country for the same condition.

There is government guidance on how long should be given off, but research found GPs generally ignore the advice.

The study, carried out by the University of Manchester and published in Occupational Medicine asked GPs how long should be given off for hernia repair, hysterectomy and heart attack. Responses were very different, for example, ranging from two to 13 weeks for a hysterectomy, and a third of respondents suggested four to six weeks more time to recover from a heart attack than recommended by the Department of Work and Pensions.

Further questions revealed that only a third of GPs knew that the government gave guidelines for sick leave.

The government is working on replacing sick notes with ‘fit notes’ in which a GP would outline what work a patient could carry out.

Leader of the study, Dr Richard Roope, said: "There is good evidence to show that work is generally good for health. We need to get across to GPs and patients alike that 'being signed off' may actually be bad for the health of the patient, their employer and the country as a whole."

Dr Tony Stevens, president of the Society of Occupational Medicine, said: "There needs to be culture shift amongst employers and patients and more support for GPs so that we can offer a more flexible approach that facilitates early rehabilitation to work."