The comments made by Stephen Kinnock, the Minister of State for Care, on 20 May 2026.
Ever since I was appointed Minister of State for Care in July 2024, NHS staff have been telling me that the current fit note system isn’t working – not for patients, and not for the clinicians who sign them off.
These pilots mark the beginning of the end for that broken system, giving people personalised support to get back into work and freeing up GPs from unnecessary admin so they can focus on what they do best: caring for their patients.
This is what our 10 Year Health Plan is all about – earlier support, from the right people, in the right place.