You do not require a doctor's certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. The seven days include days that you do not normally work, you should include the weekends and bank holidays.

Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Download a self certification form. 

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer will normally ask you to provide a medical certificate from you GP practice. A fit note must be signed by a GP or an Advanced Practitioner. 

A fit note means your GP can either say you are not fit for work or 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 fit to work if they think that returning to work, with support from your employer, will help you. This may be part time or by changing your duties.

If we have no information from a medical professional about your illness, you will need to contact the practice for a routine appointment. If we have received a letter from the hospital about your sickness you may not need to see a doctor.

If you have already had a fit note for your illness and you require an extension we may not need to see you. Our Care Navigators will be able to advise. Extentions to fit notes may also be requested via an econsult

Fit notes can be back dated to the start of your illness, you may not be offered an appointment straight away.