Sick (fit) notes

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

The Doctor will provide you with a Statement of Fitness for Work (‘Fit Note’) if you are not well enough to work. Your employer will most likely request this statement as evidence to support payment of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).

When you work out the number of days that you’ve been sick, you need to count all the days in a row you’ve been sick, including days you don’t normally work such as weekends and bank holidays.
If you are off work due to a Hospital admission, a sick note can be issued by the Hospital to cover the period of time you were in the Hospital.

Once discharged, your GP can issue a sick note, based on your Hospital discharge letter. 

If you think this is your situation, our Reception Team will assist you.

To request a sick note:

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.

You can obtain this form from your employer or the HMRC website.

Private Certificates

If you or your employer require further information concerning your period(s) of illness, then your Doctor may require to issue you with a letter.

Please note that a charge may apply for this service. Please check with our Reception Desk.

Further information

Fit Notes – What I need to know