gpsupport
A practical guide to
certifying capacity for
work
When your patient has a work-related injury and you have
identified that they can do some work, you are required to
outline their work capacity on a WorkCover WA certificate
of capacity. This resource will help you to do that. Injury
management parties will use the information you provide
to develop a return to work program.
Certificates of capacity
Certificates of capacity are designed to encourage GPs and other medical practitioners to focus on what
their patient can do in addition to any limitations or constraints. While it is acknowledged that injuries cause
limitations on a worker’s capacity, it is critical to provide the employer and other parties information that will
assist them to support a return to work as early as appropriate. Assisting a worker to return to work sooner
will likely prevent long term work disability and associated poor health outcomes.
Return to work hierarchy
When planning return to work, occupational rehabilitation professionals refer to a hierarchy of return to
work options, known as the ‘return to work hierarchy’. Where possible, the aim of return to work is to return
the worker to the same job with the same employer. However this is not always possible. Therefore, this
hierarchy assists when certifying capacity for some work and during goal setting in return to work planning.
Certifying capacity
Full capacity for work
Return to work hierarchy
Same employer
Same job
Level of worker adjustment and
associated financial costs
Least adjustment and expense
Similar
(modified) job
New Job
Fit for some work (or
‘suitable duties’)
New employer
Same job
Similar
(modified) job
New Job
Most adjustment and expense
gpsupport
1.
WORKER’S DETAILS
First name
Date of birth
Last name Smith
Susan
17
/
11
Claim no. 11C02L34A56I78M
/ 1964
Phone
08 9111 1111
Email [email protected]
Address
1 Westcoast Drive, Ocean Waves WA
2. EMPLOYER DETAILS
Practical
advice for prescribing work where there is some capacity
Employer’s name
Employer’s phone
Ocean Waves Public Hospital
08 9111 9898
When a worker has some capacity for work, it is important to guide the worker and employer towards what
Employer’s
address can
1000still
Hilltop
Road, Ocean
WA some capacity for work, here is a list of things you can do to
work
the patient
perform.
In Waves
certifying
guide
a worker’s
return to work:
3. MEDICAL
ASSESSMENT
17 / 1can
/ 2014
•Datedescribe
what the worker
do
of this assessment
Date of injury
•
describe
the worker’s limits, including workplace adjustments
Posttraumatic stress disorder
•
adjust the worker’s hours
•
recommend additional supervisory support
21 / 11 / 2013
Diagnosis
4.
PROGRESS REPORT
Activities/interventions
Actual outcome (change in symptoms, function, activity and work participation)
Case conference
identified.
Developed RTW program.
Still required?*
• Clinical
request
more information
about
the worker’s
(i.e.– increased
case conference
psychologist
Completed
10 sessions.
Exposureworkplace
therapy underway
RTW readiness.with the worker
Yes andNo
employer,
initial needsInitial
assessment,
worksite
assessment
or commenced,
job analysis)
Workplace
rehabilitation
assessment completed;
initial
exposure therapy
suitable duties
Yes
No
Yes
No
Case example
Yes
No
The following is an example of a progress certificate of capacity where the injured worker, Roger,
Yes sustained
No
a*(If
disc
herniation
of
the
lumbar
spine.
Here
the
GP
certified
Roger
with
capacity
to
return
to
work
three
management activities/interventions are still required, please also list them in Section 5 ‘Injury Management Plan’)
hoursOther
per factors
day, three
days per week. He was also certified to perform modified or alternative duties and has
appear to be impacting recovery and return to work
indicated that he requires workplace modifications.
Comment
5.
WORK CAPACITY
Worker’s usual duties
Evaluate and record patient condition, assist medical procedures, bedside nursing, monitor vital signs
Having considered the health benefits of work, I find this worker to have:
full capacity for pre-injury duties from
some capacity for work, from
but requires further treatment
/
to
20 / 1 / 2014
7 / 2 / 2014
pre-injury duties
modified or alternative duties
pre-injury hours
modified hours of
no capacity for any work from
5.
/
/
/
3
workplace modifications
hrs/day
to
performing:
/
3
days/wk
/
(outline clinical reason on next page)
WORK CAPACITY (CONTINUED)
Worker has capacity to:
(Please outline the worker’s physical and/or psychosocial capacity – refer to explanatory notes for examples. Where there is no
capacity for work, please provide clinical reasoning)
lift up to
kg
Commence with afternoon start/finish times. Short breaks to implement psychological strategies
sit up to
mins
when feeling anxious. Initial close supervisory support. Quiet work area - desk facing doorway.
stand up to
mins
No initial work requiring deadlines – focus is workplace exposure. Commence RTW at 9 hrs/wk.
walk up to
m
work below shoulder height
6.
INJURY MANAGEMENT PLAN
Activities/interventions
Purpose/goal (likely change in symptoms, function, activity and work participation)
Clinical psychologist
Psychological counselling; exposure therapy and CBT; manage and reduce psychological symptoms;
provide input into RTW program/work exposure
Provide additional support for commencing RTW program.
Reintroduce work; provide adequate support performing suitable duties; support recovery
Workplace rehabilitation
RTW program
gpsupport
2
The GP then outlines the worker’s capacity for work – describing what their patient can perform within medical
limits.
Below is a table of other example statements that may be used when certifying work capacity for physical
and psychological injuries.
Physical injuries
Psychological injuries
Fractured ankle
Mary has capacity to perform work duties while seated
(leg to be elevated). She is able to mobilise 100m
continuously using crutches.
Depression
Scott should be able perform more detailed analytical
work in the afternoons. Continued collegial support
and interaction will benefit his recovery.
Shoulder bursitis
Sam is able to lift loads up to 1.5kgs, close to the
body. All work should be conducted below shoulder
height. He should not do work that involves pushing/
pulling.
Anxiety
Veena is able to perform work with customers via the
telephone and may require additional support in faceto-face meetings.
Lower back strain
Arun is able to perform his duties if he is able to
alternate his posture between sitting, standing and
walking every 10-15 minutes.
Post traumatic stress disorder
Verity has capacity to return to work 2 hours per day, 4
days per week. Close workplace support is essential.
More information
More information is available at WorkCover WA’s gpsupport, by going to:
•
The explanatory notes for medical practitioners
•
Certifying capacity for work for psychological injury
•
Certifying capacity for work for musculoskeletal injury
gpsupport
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