Temporary disability (IT) that comes from a medical consultation where rest is prescribed is one of the necessary bureaucratic activities. However, a lot IT certificate is made at the request of the patient. In particular, after resting at home for three days or less. In this case, there is no scientific-technical method to verify whether there is a medical cause that justifies TI. This creates legal uncertainty for doctors who certify TI at the request of citizens based solely on their testimony. Thus, professionals assume that IT certification is an unnecessary bureaucratic activity. In this case, they propose applying a certificate of responsible citizen for temporary disability of three days or less.

Responsible citizen certificate

In particular, the president of the General Council of Authorized Medical Associations (CGCOM), Tomás Cobo, and the president of the Spanish Federation of Scientific-Medical Associations (FACME), Javier García Alegría, have written letters for this purpose to the General Director of the National Social Security Institute, Carmela Armesto.

Thus, they transferred this proposal, explaining that this request for the issuance of a certificate generated millions of inquiries of a bureaucratic nature for primary care doctors throughout Spain. They also argue that some countries like The United Kingdom and more recently Portugal have adopted responsible certificates for short-term IT and in Spain trials were carried out with positive results for its implementation.

It should be noted that, besides avoid unnecessary bureaucratic consultations, reduce legal uncertainty for doctors and, sometimes, situations of tension between doctors and patients, these measures will discourage citizens from traveling to health centres, contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of those traveling by motorized vehicles, as well as especially benefit working women”, they assured.