Sickness Certificates

When you need a fit note

If you are off work for 7 days or less, you do not need to give your employer a fit note or other proof of sickness from a medical professional. Your employer may, however, require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2), which is available from your employer or can be downloaded from the HMRC website.

You must give your employer a doctor’s fit note (sometimes called a sick note or MED3) if you have been ill for more than 7 days in a row and have taken sick leave. This includes non-working days, such as weekends and bank holidays.

You can get a fit note from a GP or hospital doctor.

If you are likely to need a fit note when you come out of hospital or following an outpatient appointment, please ask the doctor treating you in hospital to provide this before you leave. If you forget to do this, please contact the hospital and ask for a fit note to be posted or sent to you.

How to request a fit note from the practice

All requests for sick notes must now be submitted online via Patient Triage. This is the only way our GPs are accepting fit note requests for our patients.

Taken sick leave for more than 7 days in a row?
Please request your sick or fit note using Patient Triage:

Request a sick or fit note via Patient Triage

When you submit your request, please include a brief summary or update on your condition so that your GP can meet the legal requirements for issuing a fit note.

Please do not book an urgent or emergency appointment solely to request a fit note.

Charges for fit notes

There is usually no charge for providing a fit note if you are off sick for more than seven days.

Some employers may request a fit note (for example, for employees who repeatedly take time off sick) even if they are off work for seven days or less. This is a private, non-NHS medical certificate.

For sickness of seven days or less, a charge of £10 is payable for us to provide a certificate.

When your fit note runs out

If your certificate runs out but you are still sick, you will need to request another fit note.

Fit notes can be backdated, so it is not necessary to make an emergency appointment to renew your certificate. If you need an extension, please submit a new request via Patient Triage using the link above.