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Good Morning! Now I am worried and would welcome the reassurance of my colleagues. Yesterday, I, at last caught up with my journals reading and, of course ALL of the "Black" report. Suitably named methinks! However, I digress....Health & Safety at work April 2008 page 3 " Fitnotes to get GPs thinking inside the box on work capability". I am sadly disappointed in Dr Sayeed Khan ( EEF CMO) comments of support to the training for GPs in OH ( half day). In my view, this heralds the end of Occupational Health as a Speciality and a need. If a half days training on the rehabilitative value of work for patients is all that is needed for a GP to be qualified in OH to tick the boxes on the Fit note advising employers of fitness to return to work, then why did I spend three years studying for a BSc degree to do the same? Is this the old Nurse vs Doctor discussion raising its head in an entirely new light? no offence, please, to all the exceptional medically qualified persons that i work with; but I do have to ask this question. Is a half day training for a Doctor equivalent to three years training for a Nurse to be OH qualified? Am I paranoid or are we ( OH Specialists) being "squeezed" out? Furthermore, I have to ask myself whether any of my clients will continue with my Specialist service when with the new Fit note, all their questions are being answered ( or so they will think) in order to get an employee back to work? The list of questions includes: Is the patient able to carry out work sitting? Yes/No. That question alone does not cover the adjustments required for the employee returning to work post lumbar discectomy. It does not discuss the need for "time to carry out physio exercises" etc etc. Is any one else worried about their future in OH or, as I am approaching the grand old age of 50 on Friday, am I just paranoid? Regards, Sue ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remove this footer before replying. OCC-HEALTH ARCHIVES: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/occ-health.html CONFERENCES AND STUDY DAYS: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/filearea.cgi?LMGT1=OCC-HEALTH OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH JOBS http://OHJobs.drmaze.net OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSING EDUCATION http://www.aohne.org.uk