Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Wants to Change Rules About Being Too Sick to Work

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is planning to talk about changing some rules about work and health. He wants to change who decides if someone is too sick to work, from doctors to other health experts.

Right now, many people in the UK are not working because they are sick. The Labour Party, another group in the government, thinks that the Prime Minister's team isn't coming up with new ideas and isn't doing enough to help people stay healthy and find jobs.

The Prime Minister will say in his speech that we should look at what sick people can do at work, not just what they can't do. He thinks we shouldn't make a big deal out of everyday problems and say they are medical issues.

He also plans to ask doctors, workers, and people who have been sick what they think about the current rules and how these can be improved.

Many people haven't been able to work because they are long-term sick, especially with problems related to how they feel, like being very sad or stressed. Last year, doctors said that many people were not fit for work, and sometimes they kept saying it without giving extra advice.

A professor from the Royal College of GPs, a group for doctors, said doctors often talk to their patients and give advice about being sick, but they are open to letting other experts handle it.

This all comes after a government person, Mel Stride, said sometimes normal life problems are wrongly labeled as medical conditions, which stops people from working. He believes having a job can help people feel better.

Other politicians from different parties say the Prime Minister needs to do more to fix health services so people can get better and work instead of making small changes that don’t help much. They want to make sure everyone can see a doctor when they need to and get better health care.