If you work for a nurse agency or if you work for a nursing recruitment agency then you may have heard that nurses now have the ability to issue fit notes. This is ideal for those who are looking to branch into the carers sector or even those who are seeking care jobs. Nurses who work in England, Wales or even Scotland are now able to issue fit notes for their patients when it comes to needing time off work due to their illness. The move has since been hailed as being a super positive step for the RCN and some have said that this chance has been required for quite some time.

These kinds of notes are usually given to a patient if they have been off work with an illness for over a week, and they need some kind of evidence from their employer if they want to take further time off. It is also important to know that the notes give advice on how a certain individual can be supported during their time as well, if they were to make the return to work. From Friday, the 1st of July, it would seem that occupational therapists and even physiotherapists are going to have the power to certify the document as well as making sure that they are fully supporting and implementing the new policy. This is especially the case for e-learning amongst staff members. With the new change, it would seem that the Health Education England has chosen to implement the new policy and this move is going to help patients get the advice they need regarding their work-related absences.

This is a huge step forward for care and it just goes to show how much support like this is needed.