Fit Note (Sick Note)

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’re off work sick for more than seven days, your employer will usually ask you to get a fit note from your doctor.

The note can say that:

• you are ‘not fit for work’
• you ‘may be fit for work’

The seven days include days that you don’t normally work. So when you work out how long you’ve been off sick, include weekends and bank holidays.

Charges

You do not have to pay for a fit note if you’re off sick for more than seven days.

If you do not want to use online services to request a sick note, you can phone or visit the practice from 10am to 6.30pm.