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.
If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days
You can request a Fit note during a GP consultation.
Otherwise, you can request one by speaking to a receptionist. If it is a request for an extension of a previous Fit note, you may not need to speak to a GP about it and the Receptionist will send a message to the GP on your behalf. If it is a new request, you will need a consultation with a GP. Fit notes can be back-dated if necessary, so it is not urgent for you to be fitted in for a GP consultation if there are no appointments available on the same day.
You can also request a Fit note via e-consult – click on the ‘I want administrative help’ button at the start of the process and you will be asked for more details about your request.
Rules of a fit note
You should get a fit note from the healthcare professional who is treating you during your period of sickness. If you are receiving hospital treatment you should ask your hospital team to issue a fit note for you.
Duplicate fit notes can be issued if an original has been lost.
There are two options on a Fit note. A healthcare professional may assess you as being ‘not fit to work’, or may tick the box ‘may be fit to work’ – in which case they can provide you and your employer with advice that may help you to stay in/return to work e.g. altered hours, amended duties, workplace adaptations, or a phased return to work.
Fit notes can be issued as a printed paper copy and collected from the surgery, or they can be sent as a digital copy attached to a text message or email. Please let us know your preference for receiving it when you request it.