No more "sick-note culture?"

Telegraph: NHS doctors told to clamp down on sick notes.

Doctors are to be told to help to end Britain's "sick note culture" in a crackdown on incapacity benefit to be unveiled this week.

A long-awaited green paper will pave the way for employment advisers to be stationed inside general practitioners' surgeries and for doctors to take part in "educational programmes" designed to help claimants to get back to work.

Under the slogan "work is good for you", John Hutton, the Work and Pensions Secretary, will say that the Government will offer more support to people looking to re-enter the job market, but that this must be matched by "increased obligations" for claimants.

People on incapacity benefit will be summoned to interviews to see if they are genuine cases and risk losing part of their benefit if they refuse to take part in back-to-work programmes...Mr Hutton is determined that GPs play their part, and wants a "culture change" from the current system which sees some doctors all too willing to sign patients off for long periods.

A source close to him said: "We want GPs to be part of the gateway back to work."

Update: The excellent NHS Blog Doctor has more.