Pulling a sickie has never been easier from July 2022

Pulling a sickie

Image - Doctor's Note -Flickr

Thinking of pulling a sickie but it doesn’t seem worth the hassle? It is no longer necessarily for waning workers to physically collect their doctor’s note from their GP surgery. From 1st July 2022, ill Brits can get the all-important sick note signature from nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists. 

Bosses often request a sick note if employees require more than a week off for illness. However, before this week, people had to go to their GP to be signed off, as reported by thesun.co.uk. The new change in law will also make it easier for those signed-off long term to claim universal credit or government benefit that they could be entitled to.

Long waiting lists since the covid-19 pandemic have prompted the change, as doctors and nurses across England, Scotland and Wales continue to feel the pressure of millions of ill people who need doctors’ appointments.

Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has said “slashing bureaucracy  is key to ensuring more patients can see their GP quickly and get the care they need as we bust the Covid backlogs.”

The new change follows the move to digital rather than pen-on-paper doctor’s notes which came into force  in April 2022. Javid is pushing for a “digital revolution” on this note, to speed up access to NHS services. This will include new features on the NHS app which will allow uses to chat directly with a GP, manage hospital appointments and access medical records.

Currently, 6.48 million people are estimated to still be awaiting NHS treatment, and Javid has stated that he hopes to see 50 million more appointments delivered per year by 2024.


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Image - Annie Dabb
Written by

Annie Dabb

From Newcastle originally, Annie is based in Manchester and is a writer for the Euro Weekly News covering news and features. Got a story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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