Self Certification Fit Note for less than 7 days
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.
If you have been ill for 7 days or less you don’t need to see a Doctor. You can complete a Self Certification form yourself. Many employers have their own self-certification forms. If you employer doesn’t have its own form you can complete the Self Certification Form online.
Please print this form, fill it in, and hand to your employer. You do not need to see a Doctor.
Request a Fit/Sick note for more than 7 days
If you’re off work sick for more than 7 days, your employer will usually ask for a Fit note (or Statement of Fitness for Work) from a GP or hospital doctor. Fit notes are sometimes referred to as medical statements or a Sick note.
You will require an initial appointment with a clinician, which can be completed via telephone, before a Fit Note is provided. If you have recently been discharged from hospital following an inpatient admission please ask your consultant for a Fit Note.