AMA (NSW) President: employers, please stop sending employees to doctors for COVID-19 clearance

AMA (NSW) President, Dr Kean-Seng Lim, is, once again, asking employers to stop wasting health resources by sending employees for clearance and sick leave notes during a pandemic.

“I’d like to hang up a sign at my surgery telling people that I will not sign sick leave forms or provide someone with a note saying they don’t have COVID-19 during a pandemic.

“The latter being impossible to say with 100 per cent certainty notwithstanding, I would then look like I was picking a fight with the employees rather than their employers.

“So, all I can do is ask employers, again, to stop asking your employees for these things – it’s a pandemic and you are wasting health resources by doing so.

“I would also like schools to do the same with students, please.

“Everyone has their part to play in flattening the COVID-19 curve.

“For individuals, it’s to stay home if you can.

“For employers, it’s to make it easier for your employees to work from home, if you can.

“For everyone, it’s to make sure you are making the best use of the health system possible because we are at a point where we are about to need every possible efficiency we can get.

“Employers, wasting doctors’ time during a pandemic is grossly irresponsible, please stop it,” Dr Lim said.

Media contact: Lachlan Jones 0419 402 955