Certificate of Capacity

The purpose of the Certificate of Capacity

Information you provide on a TAC Certificate of Capacity helps us make claims-related decisions to better support your patient's independence, recovery and return to work. When you accurately complete a Certificate of Capacity, you provide critical information about your patient's injuries and their capacity for work and help facilitate better outcomes for your patient.

The Certificate of Capacity aims to improve the information exchange about work capacity. Use it to

provide guidance to your patients about what they can do after their injury
encourage work as part of your patients' recovery and recommend a graduated increase in activity
provide a timetable for recovery and return to safe work

Completing the Certificate of Capacity

When you complete a Certificate of Capacity, please ensure you include all key details across each section:

1. Worker Details

Include identifiers so we can match the Certificate to the client’s claim:

TAC claim number
date of injury.

Hospitals should attach a patient identification sticker with name, date of birth and address details.

2. Diagnosis

Include a brief but specific summary of the accident-related injuries, including:

a specific diagnosis of the injury or condition sustained in the accident
body side and location details (left wrist, lumbar pain, distal tibia) if applicable
all injuries relevant to the certification period (section 4) and treatment recommendations (section 5).

3. Capacity Assessment

Complete this section in full if your patient has a reduced or restricted capacity as a result of their accident injuries:

Tick all boxes relating to physical and mental health function.
Give specific details of those restrictions (e.g. 30 minute sitting tolerance, avoid lifting items heavier than a cup of tea).

4. Certification

Ensure the specific dates of the patient’s capacity are listed. A first certificate should be for a maximum of 14 days (unless there is significant injury with clear justification for prolonged recovery).

If your patient can do some things, or some with modifications, they can be certified with ‘capacity for suitable employment’. Suitable duties that reflect your certification must then be in place before your patient can return to their pre-injury employer.

Hospitals should consider certifying for a period until the patient is expected to consult their general practitioner.

5. Treatment Plan

Provide your clinical recommendations. Your patient’s employer or vocational specialist will use these details to determine the right return to work assistance and appropriate and safe duties.

Hospitals can specify if there are any discharge recommendations for treatment or follow up (e.g. fracture clinic review in six weeks, physiotherapy).

The Certificate of Capacity is an essential tool for communicating with your patient, their employer and the TAC about your patient’s capacity to work after an accident.

Use section 3, Capacity Assessment, to provide details on what your patient can and can't do, and what they can do with modifications. This gives guidance to your patient and their employer.

When assessing your patient and going through the certificate, provide them with a timeline and encourage work as part of your patient’s recovery.

By focussing on what they can do rather than what they can’t, you'll be positively influencing their recovery.

Evidence shows that patients are more than three times as likely to return to work soon after injury, if their health professional gives them a return date.

Indicate this timeframe when you decide your patient’s certification based on your Capacity Assessment.

If your patient can do some things, or some with modifications, they can be certified with ‘capacity for suitable employment’.

If you certify with ‘capacity for suitable employment’, suitable duties that reflect your certification must then be in place before your patient can return to their pre-injury employer.

The TAC can help the employer with a return to work plan if needed or help your patient find suitable new employment.

The TAC can also assist with income and capacity building supports while your patient explores appropriate options.

In the Treatment Plan, provide your clinical recommendations.

Your patient’s employer or vocational specialist will use these details to determine the right return to work assistance and appropriate and safe duties.

Learn more at tac.vic.gov.au/certificate

The benefits of work

The Certificate of Capacity supports international evidence that says, in general, work is good for a person's health and wellbeing. Conversely, the evidence also says long-term work absence, work disability and unemployment have a negative impact on health and wellbeing.

Having early conversations between certifiers and patients significantly increases the likelihood of early return to safe work. Research indicates that patients are more than twice as likely to return to work early if they're given guidance on how to prevent recurrence and re-injury. They are more than three times as likely to return to work soon after injury if their health professional gives them a date to return to work.*

^{*Kosny A, et al 2006 Early Healthcare Provider Communication with Patients and Their Workplace Following a Lost-time Claim for an Occupational Musculoskeletal Injury, Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation}

Who can issue a Certificate of Capacity?

A Certificate of Capacity may be issued by one of the following authorised health professionals, who must be registered and be the primary practitioner responsible for treating the client's injuries:

General practitioner
Medical professional
Chiropractor
Dentist
Occupational therapist
Optometrist
Osteopath
Physiotherapist
Podiatrist

The Certificate of Capacity is for authorised providers to provide information about a TAC client’s transport accident conditions and to assess and certify their capacity for work as a result of these injuries. Feedback about this form can be emailed to medicalcertificatefeedback@tac.vic.gov.au

It is an offence under the legislation to provide false or misleading information – a person who provides a false or misleading Certificate of Capacity could be liable to prosecution.