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Abstract

Islington leader Richard Watts has been accused by disability rights activists of “making them sick” by defending a government-backed scheme for people with mental health problems.

Medical professionals, trade unionists and disabled people staged a protest against the scheme, which has seen job coaches placed in six GP surgeries in an effort to help patients get back to work.

Around 100 people gathered outside the City Road Medical Surgery on Friday before marching down to Old Street roundabout, blocking rush-hour traffic for about 30 minutes.

Campaigners are angry about the pilot scheme, in partnership with Islington Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which began in September and is set to last a year.

There were anti-Tory chants, particularly focused on Work and Pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, as well as the more local “Councillor Dick [Richard Watts] stop making us sick”.

The rationale for the Working Better programme is that there is evidence to suggest a link between employment and good health. Council documents say the scheme is an opportunity to “embed employment into the ‘wiring’ of the healthcare system”, with employment viewed as “a clinical outcome”. Coaches will be able to add updates directly on patients’ medical records.

It is voluntary and there are no sanctions involved but protesters fear it is part of a slippery slope which will see Mr Duncan Smith’s agenda of bringing job centres and the culture of welfare sanctions into the NHS, as well as potentially making patients fearful of visiting their GP.

Mona Kamal, a junior doctor specialising in psychiatry, said: “Doctors don’t prescribe jobs. We prescribe care and treat­ment. That’s all we want to do and will not allow being bullied into aban­doning our duty of care.”

Paula Peters, of Disabled People Against Cuts, told the Tribune: “Merging healthcare with jobs is disgusting and it will compromise doctors’ ethics.”

Claire Glassman, of women’s disability group WinVisible, said: “This is really frightening as GPs have been our barrier against what the government wants to do. The independence of doctors is a really important principle. We are fighting for the NHS not to be drawn into the government’s agenda.”

Many also spoke against the idea that a job is a cure-all for a mental health problem and argued any jobs offered would most likely be low-paid menial or manual labour.

Angel resident Les said: “Jobs are not some kind of vitamin C. It can make you worse if you are working completely exhausting hours. We want proper jobs.”

Islington opposition councillor Caroline Russell said: “Whatever the good intentions of the scheme, our most vulnerable residents will believe that their information is being shared and may fear that visiting the doctor will affect their benefits.

“If a GP thinks it is worthwhile to refer a patient to such a service, that is a different matter, but not in the surgery itself and only on medical advice. People will worry the employ­ment coaches are just there to snoop.”

Cllr Watts said: “This is not about work being a ‘cure’ for people’s health conditions. It’s about doing more to break down barriers and make employment support services more accessible and inclusive to those who want to benefit from them.”

A statement from Islington CCG said: “Employment coaches are provided by Remploy, and involvement in this local pilot will have no impact whatsoever on receipt of benefits. This is made clear by the healthcare practitioners making referrals and trained employment coaches delivering the support. If at any time a patient decides they no longer wish to be involved in the pilot, they are able to leave.”