Download A Self Certified Sick Note
Thibaut Silverman
Employees might need a fit note when they're off sick. A fit note is an official statement from a registered healthcare professional giving their medical opinion on a person's fitness for work. Fit notes used to be called sick notes.
It will be helpful if you could give us as much information as possible including dates and the duration of the sick note to avoid a delay. Please allow up to 72 hours for your sick note to be ready for collection.
When you need a certificate will also depend on your employer's company policy on sick leave (or sickness absence). This policy should tell you how many days you can be off sick before you need a note.
If you have seen a doctor at the practice regarding the problem you need a medical certificate for (or we have received a letter from the hospital about your sickness) you many not need to see the doctor again. You can complete a fit note request form at reception, which will be passed to the doctor to review. The doctor may also be able to speak to you on the telephone depending on how well they know you and why you are off work sick.
If you have been ill for longer that 7 days please call the surgery to arrange a consultation with a GP to discuss this. Sick notes can be backdated. Please contact via online consult to request an ongoing sick note.
If you're off work sick for 7 days or less, your employer should not ask for medical evidence that you've been ill. Instead they can ask you to confirm that you've been ill. You can do this by filling in a form yourself when you return to work. This is called self-certification.
If you're off work sick for more than 7 days, your employer will usually ask for a Fit note (or Statement of Fitness for Work) from a GP or hospital doctor. Fit notes are sometimes referred to as medical statements or a Sick note.
With the increasing number of covid cases, the government has changed the rules for fit notes. If you went on the sick on or after 10/12/2021, you can now self certify for up to 28 days at a time rather than the previous number of 7 days.