News Item

The Government intends to replace the GP’s MED 3 certificate with a new form of information of employers. The idea is to put the emphasis on what the employee can do rather than what they can’t. The Government intention is that the GP will have the option of stating that the employee may be fit for some work and will then select from four alternatives. These are a phased return to work, alterations to hours, alterations to duties or workplace adaptations.  The Government has just completed its consultation on this. There are some fairly strong objections. These include the fact that GPs are not occupational health specialists and may find it difficult to operate the return to work options effectively. Equally some employers may find it difficult to follow or comply with the GP’s recommendations. There could be particular problems in the case of disabled employees (where there is a separate duty to make adjustments) or where there is a difference of opinion between the employee and the GP. There is plenty of room for difficulty here although it may suit some conditions, such as back pain, quite well.