Sick Note Britain: The Public and Medical Certification since the Second World War (360G-Wellcome-208075_Z_17_Z)

Sick Note Britain investigates the concept of "the sick note" and its usage in Britain since the Second World War. The sick note, representing a form of medical certification, sits at the meeting point of medicine, industry, the British welfare state and lay conceptions of health. Yet it has not yet received serious historical attention, despite a wealth of literature on the profound economic, political and cultural shifts in the post-war period. This project investigates what attitudes towards sick notes tell us about the concepts of sickness and capacity for work. To do this, it will study: how the medical profession was used as the arbiter of sickness and how this role changed; whether and how attitudes toward the sick note differed between employees and employers; and the role of the state in the management, use and regulation of sick notes. It will focus primarily on employment, industrial relations and state health-related benefits. The project aims to produce peer-reviewed research outputs (including a monograph) and to engage policy informers about the historical and cultural context of sick notes in the United Kingdom. It will also act as the basis for future research into medical certification.