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 have been ill for 7 days or less you don't need to see a Doctor. You can complete a Self Certification form yourself. Many employers have their own self-certification forms. If you employer doesn't have its own form you can complete the Self Certification Form online.
Please print this form, fill it in, and hand to your employer. You do not need to see a Doctor.
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.
You will require an initial appointment with a clinician, which can usually be completed via telephone, before a Fit Note is provided. If you have recently been discharged from hospital following an inpatient admission please ask your consultant for a Fit Note.
If you have already had a Fit note for this illness, your Doctor may not need to see you to issue an additional Sick note.
You will need to request an extension of your Fit Note in writing and hand it in at the surgery, or by use e-Consult to request it.
Sick Note Extension Request Form
Your request will usually be processed within 48 working hours, but may take longer, and will be dated from the expiry date of the previous sick note. We are unable to send sick notes by post or email, so your sick note will need to collected from the surgery. We suggest that you call ahead to check whether your fit note is ready before coming to the surgery to collect it.
If we are unable to issue you an extension to your Fit note, or if a further review is required, you may be contacted and advised to book an appointment with a Doctor to discuss.