General practitioners' knowledge of notifiable, reportable, and prescribed diseases

For most patients with an occupationally related illness or injury the family doctor is often the first port of call. With recent estimates suggesting that over 90% of registered patients consult their general practitioners over five years,1 family doctors can play a key part in diagnosing and treating ill health that may be linked with work, in preventing further cases by notifying the right people (reportable diseases),2 and in enabling the patient to claim benefit under the Industrial Injuries Scheme (prescribed diseases).3 The Health and Safety Executive recently investigated general practitioners' awareness of health and safety legislation and its relevance to their practices. A survey was carried …