7 days off sick 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. This is called self-certification.
More than 7 days off sick
If you’re off work sick for more than 7 days, your employer will usually ask for a sick note (or Statement of Fitness for Work) from a healthcare professional.
A medical certificate note must be signed by a doctor. Your GP can give you advice to help you return to work. This is because work can play an important part in helping people to recover from illness on injury. The GP can either say you are not fit for work, or can say you may be fit for work. The GP will choose the option for may be fit to work if they think that returning to work – with support from your employer – will help you.
There is also space for the GP to give advice to your employer about the impact of your illness or injury and can suggest common ways in which your employer can help you return to work such as allowing you to work part time or temporarily or by changing your duties, for example, if you have back pain, avoiding heavy lifting.
Fit notes are also sometimes called doctor’s notes, sick notes, medical certificates or doctor’s statements.
If you have seen a doctor at the practice regarding the problem you need a medical certificate for (or we have received a letter from the hospital about your sickness) you many not need to see the doctor again. The doctor may also be able to speak to you on the telephone depending on how well they know you and why you are off work sick. If you have not seen a doctor at the practice and we have had no information from a medical professional about your illness, it may be difficult to complete a certificate from the information provided from the form you submit and so you may be requested to book an appointment.
There are rules governing the issue of sick certificates and the GP may not be able to supply one, depending on the information you provide.
If you are under the care of a hospital, your certificate may be issued by the hospital, rather than by the practice.
Extension of an existing sick note
If you have already had a sick note for your illness, a GP may not need to see you again to issue an additional sick note.
Our clinician’s may need to contact you to request more information or to ask you to arrange an appointment to discuss things further and offer further support.
Sick notes cannot be forward dated, but they can be backdated. This means that you are unable to request a new sicknote until your old one expires.
How can I get a sick note?
If you need a sick note, you can contact the surgery. This will be assessed by a GP and if they decide your health affects your fitness for work, they can issue a sick note.
Alternatively, you can contact the surgery on 0161 445 1957 or visit reception in person to request a sick note.