Sick notes

If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days

To request a sick note:

 

If you do choose to telephone us regarding a sick note, please time your call for after 10am. 

 

If you’ve been off sick for 7 days or less

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. We call this self-certification.

Find out more about sick notes on the NHS website.

Sick Notes for Schools

We do not issue sick notes for anyone not in employment i.e. under the age of 16.

We are aware some education providers are requesting sick notes for patients who have been unable to attend school.

We cannot and will not issue these. 

Updated 15th April 2024

More Information:

Hospital doctors and sickness certification

From 6 April 2022 all doctors across Great Britain will be issuing their patients with a revised Form Med 3 (Statement of Fitness for Work or fit note).

Many hospital doctors are still unaware that they should, if appropriate, issue Med 3 forms to patients in their care. Not issuing Med 3s denies patients the best care and leads to unnecessary duplication and extra work for GPs. In many cases it is the hospital doctor who is best placed to give advice on the impact of a patient’s health condition on their fitness for work.

 

Still having trouble getting your fit note from the hospital?

If the hospital still does not issue you a fit note on request, please contact their Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) department, who will be able to escalate matters for you.

 

Electronic fit notes from hospital

From November 30, 2023, as part of hospital contract changes, all hospital must have in place facilities to be able to send a fit note to any patient electronically. There is therefore no excuse for the hospital not to be able to issue a fit note for you ahould you require it.

Returning to Work After a Fit (Sick) Note

Since April 2010, the requirement for you to be 'signed back to work' with a doctor's note was removed. You simply return to work after discussion and agreement with your employer. A fit note is not required.

This is an extract from the official fit note guidance:

Going back to work

You should go back to work as soon as you feel able to and with your employer’s agreement – this may be before your fit note runs out. You do not need to go back to see your healthcare professional before going back to work. Your healthcare professional cannot give you a fit note stating that you are ‘fit for work’.

For a small number of jobs there are separate processes to ensure it is safe for you to return. If this applies to you, your employer will tell you. You do not need a fit note to cover this period while you wait for your employer’s assessment and your healthcare professional will not be able to issue further fit notes to cover it.