KEY POINTS:
Doctors are being given a guide to help them to make decisions about benefits.
Allegations were raised recently in Parliament that doctors were facing pressure to say people were unwell enough to need sickness or invalid benefits.
Associate Health Minister Darren Hughes said the Work and Income Health Practitioner Handbook launched yesterday was aimed at getting beneficiaries back intowork.
"This handbook will be a valuable tool for health practitioners, as it answers many of their questions about the ministry, its staff, processes, forms, benefits and entitlement," Mr Hughes said.
"It provides an introduction to the main types of support and services available through Work and Income, particularly medical certification for health-related benefits, assistance and services."
The handbook would give information on getting support and services in place to help beneficiaries back into work, Mr Hughes said.
"We are committed to working with health practitioners to improve the quality of information."
- NZPA
