A treating doctor has a clear role in the injury management process, which includes:

• diagnosis, primary care and coordination of medical treatment
• establishing, in their opinion, whether the diagnosis does/does not correlate with the injury as described by the patient
• reviewing the injured worker’s medical condition
• liaising with the employer or employer’s representative to facilitate an injured worker’s maintenance in or return to work
• referring for workplace rehabilitation assistance where required
• reporting specified industrial diseases to WorkSafe within 14 days of the first consultation with the injured worker.

It is not the treating doctor’s role to determine whether a worker has a valid claim under the Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981. Medical opinion should be restricted to whether the medical condition could have resulted from the incident reported by the worker and the consequential ability of the worker to perform their work duties (i.e. totally unfit, partially unfit).

For more information on the key role a medical practitioner plays in the injury management and return to work process, see the Returning to Work section.

Medical certificates

A First Medical Certificate (PDF - 80kb) / First Medical Certificate (Word - 250kb) must be submitted by a worker as part of a workers’ compensation claim.

A Progress Medical Certificate (PDF - 205kb) / Progress Medical Certificate (Word - 170kb) is for ongoing treatment related to the injury initially reported on the First Medical Certificate.

A Final Medical Certificate (PDF - 200kb) / Final Medical Certificate (Word - 150kb) is used when there is no need for the patient to visit a doctor again in relation to the injury initially reported on the First Medical Certificate.

Speaking with the injured workers’ employer

Your communication with the employer is of vital importance in the management of your injured workers’ injury. The employer is instrumental in accommodating an early return to work for the injured worker. They must implement a formal return to work plan if you indicate that the worker has some capacity for work.

By working together with the employer, you can assist the injured workers’ return to work in a timely manner and reduce the possibility of further aggravation or recurrence of the injury.

The employer can provide you with a list of the available duties within the workplace. These can then be reviewed by you to determine their appropriateness or suitability and the return to work plan can be developed and implemented.