Sick note pilot will 'help people back to work'

A new pilot programme is set to launch in Surrey, which the government claims will get people with health conditions back into work, boost the economy and reduce pressure on the NHS.

The £1.5m scheme will change how fit notes (also known as sick notes) are issued in Surrey Heartlands, alongside 15 other areas across the country.

The government said the WorkWell pilot will combat the practice of immediately writing people off sick.

Those given sick notes will instead be supported to find ways to get back into work, it added.

Fit notes need to be written by a healthcare professional if a person is unwell and cannot work for more than seven days, according to the NHS.

They can be used to claim benefits or statutory sick pay.

Under the pilot, people given sick notes will be connected with support services to provide work and health advice, such as career coaches or occupational therapists.

Patients will also receive targeted and timely support to manage their health condition, while exploring "realistic options" for staying in or returning to work, the government said.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting called the pilot a "step towards transforming a broken system that's been failing people for years".

It would "fundamentally change the conversation from 'you can't' to 'how can we help you?'," he added.

Some 56,000 disabled people or those with health conditions are expected to be in work due to the pilot by spring 2026, according to the government.

Of the 11 million sick notes issued electronically in primary care across England last year, 93% declared people "not fit for work", without offering a constructive alternative or support pathway to employment, it said.

Some 2.8 million people are currently out of work due to health conditions, the government continued.

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