Fit Note Statement Proficiency
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of Occupational Medicine in Medical Education in Relation to Fitness to Work Statements
IRAS ID
279729
Contact name
Laura J. Sanders-Davis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Much of occupational medicine is carried out within primary care with GPs being the primary physicians approached for fit note certification. However during hospital admissions, anecdotally, fit note statement writing is often delegated to junior staff, many of these individuals being foundation trainees. Limited formal research has been undertaken to evaluate the competency and understanding of occupational medicine with respect to fit note writing in medical students, foundation trainees or speciality trainees.
Despite this occupational medicine is not routinely taught at medical schools, with the last review of occupational medical teaching having taken place in 2000 (Wynn et al. 2002), with 31.6% of medical schools self-reporting there was no formal occupational medicine training put in place for students. This has been recognised as part of Outcomes for Graduates (GMC, 2018), as they specify that newly qualified doctors should understand and recognise ‘the links between occupation and health’. Medical schools have been challenged to meet this aims by 2020. Sheffield medical school introduced a teaching program to good effect which has improved competency and understanding of occupational health principles but no formal assessment of hospital doctors’ ability to write fit note statements has been undertaken.This study aims to formally elevate competency of medical students and doctors so these issues may be addressed.REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A