Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor’s sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

However if you have self-certified sick for one week and have not seen your GP regarding your illness, if you require an extension to this an appointment will needed between you and your GP before this can be issued.  If your symptoms do not meet the “emergency on the day criteria” for an appointment, our receptionist will look for the next available appointment to book you in to.  In these cases your GP can backdate the sick note from when your self-certification expired.

For patients whose GP is aware of their sickness and a further sick note is required, you will not necessarily need to be seen again.  We can ask your GP to complete a new sick note which can be forwarded to you electronically.

Evidence That you are Sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a ‘Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work – ’Fit Note’

The ‘fit note’ was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer’s support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced).