If you are off work due to a Hospital admission, a Fit Note (commonly referred to as a sick note) should be issued by the Hospital to cover the period of time you were in the Hospital. Please ensure that you ask for this before you are discharged or contact your consultant’s secretary.
Less than seven days off sick – Self-Certificate
If you have been sick for more than four days in a row, but less than seven, you should self–certify your illness using a SC2 form. You can obtain this form from your employer or the HMRC website. The surgery team will not be able to provide you with a Fit Note (commonly referred to as a sick note) for these first seven days.
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. You will require a consultation with a member of our clinical team to assess this and you are asked to complete an online consultation form to be triaged by the team.
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.