§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the new sick-note system called certificate of verification now being practised by some doctors, whereby a person fills in, on a form supplied by the doctor, what in the opinion of that person is wrong with himself, and has this countersigned by the doctor, without the doctor having necessarily examined the person regarding the alleged malady.
§ Mr. Moyle:It is necessary to distinguish between certificates issued for claims for social security benefits and those, like the ones referred to in the hon. Member's Question, issued to suit the requirements of employers. For 51W social security purposes, doctors are required by regulations to issue certificates in the prescribed form, free of charge and to examine patients before doing so.
The other kind of certificate is a private matter between the doctor and patient concerned and it is for employers to determine their acceptability. I have no responsibility for certificates that doctors issue for private purposes unconnected with the Social Security Act 1975.