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Hundreds Of GPs In England Report Never Refusing Sick Notes For Mental Health

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • BBC News surveyed over 5,000 GPs in England
  • 752 GPs responded to the questionnaire
  • 540 GPs said they had never refused a mental health sick note

BBC News conducted a survey to understand how general practitioners in England handle requests for sick notes related to mental health concerns.

The questionnaire was sent to more than 5,000 GPs across England, focusing on whether they had ever declined to issue a fit note for mental health reasons. The responses provide insight into current practices among medical professionals regarding mental health documentation.

Out of the 752 GPs who replied to the survey, the majority indicated they had not refused a sick note request for mental health. This information highlights the approach taken by many GPs when considering such requests from patients.

Specifically, 540 GPs stated they had never refused a request for a fit note related to mental health, while 162 reported having refused at least one such request. An additional 50 respondents chose not to disclose their stance on the matter.

What the numbers show

  • 5,000+ GPs in England were contacted by BBC News
  • 752 GPs responded to the survey
  • 540 GPs reported never refusing a mental health sick note
  • 162 GPs said they had refused at least one request
  • 50 GPs preferred not to answer the question

The survey results indicate that hundreds of GPs have not declined requests for sick notes due to mental health concerns. This finding is based on the responses collected from the participating general practitioners.

The data collected by BBC News offers a snapshot of GP practices concerning mental health fit notes. The questionnaire focused solely on refusals for mental health reasons, rather than other types of medical conditions.

BBC News published the findings from this survey, which was conducted to gather information about how GPs in England respond to patient requests for sick notes related to mental health. The survey did not include responses from other healthcare professionals or regions.

The information from the survey provides a factual overview of how English GPs have handled sick note requests for mental health, based on the responses received by BBC News.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

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