Should GPs determine whether people on long-term sick leave are
too ill to work? Perhaps not, according to the draft copy of a government-commissioned review into sickness absence. It proposes setting up a
new, separate and independent body to assess those on long-term sick leave, on the grounds that doctors have no incentive — nor, perhaps, the specific knowledge — to prod and coax them
back towards employment. The new service, it is said, would advise sick leavers, and their employers, about just what they can and can’t manage.
If the government does introduce this, it will be another sign of their intent to untangle the problems with sickness benefits. I’ve written about this sort of thing a few times before, so suffice to say that, since the Thatcher years, politicians have ignored the path that led people from sickness absence to Incapacity Benefit; most likely because IB claimaints didn’t show up on the official unemployment rolls.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in