Welfare to work: the role of general practice

This paper considers the potential effects of the governments Welfare to Wo rk policy on general practitioner (GP) working patterns, and aims to explor e the relationship between unemployment, ill health, and GP sickness certif ication. Social security and employment policy initiatives are discussed in relation to the literature on the relationship between unemployment and il l health, sociological and psychological perspectives on work and unemploym ent, medicalisation of unemployment, adjudication of fitness for work, re-e mployment and health, and treatment of barriers to employment The authors p ostulate that Welfare to Work policy may depend for its success on the cruc ial role of general practice in sickness certification.