Stephen wrote:
> Michael Hendry wrote:
>> Can anyone point me to the DWP guidance on the need to issue a
>> "Final" certificate?
>>
>> I'm sure this came up recently on GP-UK, but am obviously searching
>> for the wrong thing.
>>
>> One of my LMC consituents is being pestered by the local university
>> for closed Med 3s for patients who went back to work before the open
>> Med 3s they'd been given had expired.
>
> From:
> http://www.dwp.gov.uk/medical/medicalib204/ib2> 04-june04/section2.pdf
>
> "When providing advice to patients about fitness for their
> usual occupation, it is good practice to issue a closed Med 3
> certificate [for up to 14 days] with a date when you consider
> they will become fit for work.
>
> For medical conditions where clinical progress and outcome
> are not straightforward and you issue an open medical
> statement you will need to review the patient again and
> provide them with a closed statement giving a date on which
> they will become fit to resume work."
This doesn't really answer my question in the way Simon's does, but no
doubt the DWP will deny everything if asked to repeat or publish what
they wrote to him!
I frequently find myself in the situation of saying to a patient "Here's
a line for a week, I'll book an appointment to see you in a week's time
on the offchance that you're still unwell - if you're better in the
meantime cancel the appointment and I'll do a final certificate for the
day you say you're going back". If the patient's still unwell in a week,
I want to see him to find out why, but if he declares he's recovered who
am I to argue.
If I were sure of my ground in following Simon's example, I'd just say
"Go back to work when you're ready", and save my time in preparing and
his in collecting the certificate.
Michael
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