The Fit Note system has placed family doctors in an impossible position, forcing them to make decisions that are often less about medicine and more about access to money. It's become one of the most damaging changes to modern general practice. GPs act as gatekeepers not only to healthcare, but also to welfare payments. For short-term illnesses, the system makes sense. Someone with influenza, pneumonia, a fractured ankle or another acute condition may genuinely need a few weeks away from work. Mo