ALMOST 100,000 sick notes were given to patients in Oxfordshire last year.

The figures come as a health charity warns long-term ill health is having profound consequences on workers, employers, and the Government's finances.

Since 2012, GPs have been able to give patients electronic 'fit notes', which say whether the patient is too sick to return to work, or give other recommendations, such as a phased return to work.

READ MORE: Murder investigation launched after death of 88-year-old man

NHS Digital data shows 98,863 of these notes were given to patients in the former NHS Oxfordshire CCG area in the year to June – equivalent to 20,182 for every 100,000 registered working-aged patients.

These figures cover the number of individual notes issued, and patients may have received multiple notes over the course of the year.

Across England, the number of fit notes rose to 10.4 million in the year to June, up 8.6 per cent from 9.5 million in the year to June 2019.

There has also been a significant national increase in fit notes given for long durations – 132,000 fit notes were issued for leave of 20 weeks or longer in the year to June, up 42 per cent from 93,000 three years prior.

It has been suggested that 'long covid' – a range of coronavirus-related symptoms which remain after the initial period of infection has passed – could be contributing to the increase in workers being signed off for longer periods, alongside lengthy waiting lists for NHS treatment since the start of the pandemic.

READ MORE: Man, 44, charged with kidnap, robbery and assault

The Health Foundation, a charity which carries out research on healthcare, said that this rise in sickness duration was "incredibly worrying" and could have disastrous consequences if people are forced to leave work altogether.

In the year to June, 4.3 million notes – or 42 per cent of all fit notes – were for leave of a month or longer, up from 3.3 million – 34 per cent – in 2018-19.

Dave Finch, assistant director at the charity, said that long-term sickness is especially tough on those trying to make ends meet during the cost-of-living crisis.

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows the number of people off work due to long-term sickness in the UK is at all-time high, with 2.49 million people now 'economically inactive' due to ill health.

In response, Mr Finch said businesses need to be open to mitigating circumstances for their employees, and that the Government should consider greater financial support for workers while they are off sick.

READ MORE: Police hunt for man in connection with rape investigation

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said they have published updated guidance to employers on how to support employees that are managing a health condition.

-

A message from our Editor

Thank you for reading this story and supporting the Oxford Mail.

If you like what we do please consider getting a subscription for the Oxford Mail and in return we’ll give you unrestricted access with less adverts across our website from the latest news, investigations, features, and sport.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok for more. 

You can also join the conversation in our Facebook groups: stay ahead of traffic alerts here, keep up to date with the latest from court here, share your favourite memories of Oxford here, get your daily dose of celebrity news here and take some time out with news that will make you smile. 

If you’ve got a story for our reporters, send us your news here. You can also list an event for free here.