From today, new legislation comes into force which allows nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and physiotherapists to legally certify fit notes, in addition to doctors. 

To support this, the government has published guidance to help individuals and employers identify the knowledge, skills and experience required to certify fit notes.

A new training package is also available and should be completed before taking up this task - this is freely accessible for all healthcare professionals.

There is a rollout period from today where GP IT systems will be updated to reflect the change.