Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2025 50 Question 22715 on Medical Certificates: Public Consultation, whether she plans to launch the fit note trailblazers.

In 2024, the previous government announced that fit note trailblazers would be included in some of the 15 WorkWell pilot areas across Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England. Due to the timings of the General Election, they were not launched.

As part of £240m investment to support our employment reforms in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are providing three ICBs with a share of £45m to become 'Health and Growth Accelerators'. These 3 ICBs are North East and North Cumbria, South Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire.

We are working with the accelerator ICBs to deliver an intervention aimed at improving the quality of work and health advice and support following a request for a fit note. This will ensure the fit note process is part of our wider system designed to get support to people who are already economically inactive or at risk of falling out of work due to ill health.