Doctors are costing businesses billions of pounds in lost output and recruitment costs by not doing enough to help people with mental health problems successfully return to work, according to a report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and KPMG.

The report finds that GPs are typically rated negatively by employers for the level of support they provide in helping people with mental health problems return to work. Almost 40% of employers rate GP support in this area as either very poor or fairly poor, compared to only 20% who rate GP support as good or very good.

The survey also show that currently employers receive medical reports from GPs on just 50% of employees off work with long-term mental health problems, even though 70% of employers report they contact GPs to ask them to provide such a report.

Ben Willmott, CIPD employee relations adviser, says: “GPs are letting down patients signed off work with mental health problems by not communicating effectively with employers. All the evidence shows that a phased return to work can play a hugely beneficial role in the recovery of people suffering with this kind of illness. Employers are willing to do their bit, but they need support and better communication from GPs to facilitate appropriately phased returns to work.

“We know the Department for Work and Pensions is already looking at ways of improving the support GPs offer to facilitate timely and effective returns to work.  Our report shows widespread employer support for measures that would make a real difference. If government wants to achieve its objectives on welfare reform, it must act to ensure GPs are fully aware of the crucial role they have to play in working with employers to prevent people slipping in to long-term sickness absence.”