In a comprehensive quantitative study of sickness certification in general practice, mild mental disorders accounted for 40% of sickness absence and these disorders were particularly associated with claimants developing longer term sickness absence.
Such tension perhaps explains why some GPs would support the removal of sickness certification from their remit and a recent review by Dame Carol Black has proposed that GPs cease to be involved in judgements around longer term sickness absence [ 1].
Rather, it has a longer-term disability transfer program that, together with the sickness benefits all private firms must offer their workers, provides a comprehensive system of both partial and total disability benefits to workers regardless of how or where their disability occurred.
Either acute or longer-term exposure carries a danger of serious health outcomes including radiation sickness, genetic damage, cancer, and death.
Still, longer-term challenges remain.
Its worries are longer-term.
Longer-term solutions must be found.
The longer-term picture is little better.
The longer-term trend has been positive.
Yet the longer-term prospect is troubling.
