What information is available to the employer?
The certificate of capacity is the main way in which the nominated treating doctor (NTD) communicates with the worker's support team.
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Key takeaways
- The certificate of capacity is your main source of information about your worker's injury or illness.
- Your claims service provider can provide general information about the worker's treatment while respecting the privacy of the worker.
Certificate of capacity
When your worker signs the certificate of capacity, they are authorising the nominated treating doctor (NTD) to provide relevant information about their injury or illness to the relevant parties on the claim, including you as the employer and the claims service provider.
You are entitled to ask questions of the NTD and clarify the information noted on the certificate. For example, you may wish to ask questions to explore:
- What can the injured worker do in terms of return to work?
- What is the expected timeframe for the injured worker to return to work in their normal duties?
- What are the current restrictions?
- What can we as an employer do to help the injured worker?
- How can we best support a return to work?
- How can we best communicate with the injured worker's treatment team?
If you wish to contact the NTD before receiving your copy of the certificate to show your support and discuss suitable work, you will need permission from your worker first.
Back to top ⇡What other information is available?
Aside from the information noted on the certificate of capacity, the claims service provider can provide you with a general overview of what treatment is currently underway and what treatment has been approved on the claim.
There is some information that the claims service provider is unable to share with you to respect the privacy of your worker. Personal details shared in reports and via treatment requests are not suitable for sharing.
Your claims service provider can however let you know the amount of treatment that has been approved to date, what the current treatment plan is – including frequency of treatment, and the likely timeframe for cessation of treatment (if available). Each individual will respond differently to each type of treatment.
Some workers show great improvement with a course of cognitive behavioural therapy, whilst others may find talk therapy difficult and not feel much benefit. It’s important to respect these individual differences.
As an employer, you can support your injured worker by maintaining regular communication and showing genuine interest in their recovery and wellbeing – if your employee is comfortable doing so, set up a regular check-in.
It is also beneficial to show your support by offering to attend medical case conferences with the worker and their nominated treating doctor.
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