Request a Sick Note for work
Sick (fit) notes
If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days
To request a sick note:
- fill out a sick note request form
- phone the surgery
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.
Sickness of more than seven days
If you are sick and off work for more than seven days, your employer will normally ask you to provide a medical certificate from your GP.
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.
To find out about your employer's policy:
- ask your team leader or supervisor, or
- speak to someone from your human resources (HR) or personnel department
When you fit note runs out
If your certificate runs out, but you are still sick, you will need to consult the doctor again before you can get a further certificate.
Fit certificates can be back-dated so it is not necessary to make an emergency appointment to renew your certifiate. If you attend an emergency appointment for the purpose of getting a medical certificate you will be asked to rebook.
School Examinations and Sickness Certificates
It should be noted that GPs do not provide sick notes for schoolchildren. When children are absent from school owing to illness, schools may request a letter from a parent or guardian, and this is no different during an exam period. However, children who have missed exams due to illness are frequently told by schools that a note from a doctor is required; but this cannot be provided by a GP. Aside from the fact that parents/guardians are responsible for excusing their children from school, GPs cannot provide retrospective sickness certification. When a child suffers from a long-term condition, any certification will be provided by the responsible specialist.