Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued to GP practices on the maximum duration for which fit notes may be issued.

The Department has published guidance on GOV.UK for any healthcare professionals eligible to issue fit notes. The guidance states that the length of a fit note depends on the healthcare professional’s clinical judgement. During the first six months of a patient’s health condition, a fit note can be issued for a maximum of three months at a time. Where the condition has lasted for more than six months, a fit note can be issued for any clinically appropriate period, up to an indefinite period. Further information is available in the fit note guidance for healthcare professionals and the detailed guide to completing the fit note.