Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) physiotherapists, (b) occupational therapists, (c) nurses, (d) pharmacists, and (e) other healthcare professionals who have been eligible to issue fit notes since July 2022 will be issuing fit notes as part of the new fit note pilot schemes.

All healthcare professionals currently eligible to issue fit notes will continue to be able to do so. The Government is not bringing forward any changes to fit note legislation as part of the fit note reform pilots.

The four fit note pilots will test a voluntary service in which new Community Work and Health Teams work alongside patients and their employers to develop personalised workability plans to support people to remain in work or to return to work sustainably. All four pilots include, within the make-up of the team workforce, healthcare professionals eligible to issue fit notes where required.