Sick/Fit Note

Sick notes can only be issued when they are due and cannot be future dated.

Sick/Fit Note request form

Sick note requests must be requested by telephone. Please call the surgery after 2 pm to request a continuation fit note and allow 3 days notice for issue.

Patients have informed us email is the preferable method with easy access to receive your fit line. The receptionist will ask you for your email address and National Insurance Number.

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.

Please note a Sick or Fit Note can be backdated; please discuss this when you speak with your GP. Emergency or urgent appointments should not be used to request Sick / Fit notes.

Self-Certificate

If you have been sick for more than four days in a row, but less than seven, you can self–certify your illness using a SC2 form. You can obtain this form from your employer or the HMRC website. If you are unwell for more than four days you are advised to contact the surgery to assess your fitness to work.

More than seven days off sick

If you’re off work sick for more than seven days your employer will normally ask for a Fit Note (or Statement of Fitness for Work) from your GP or Hospital Doctor.

How to count sick days

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.

Statement of Fitness for Work

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

Further information is available at the Direct.Gov website.

When do I need a Fit Note?

The NHS Information website provides further details about Sick or Fit Notes.

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.