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’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 healthcare professional. Fit notes are sometimes referred to as medical statements or a doctor’s note.

If you need a fit note, contact the healthcare professional treating you in the first instance. This should be a doctor, nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist. Please only fill in this form if you need to request a fit note from your GP.

Your request will be reviewed by the GP within 3 working days. You may be contacted if the GP requires more information from you. We will contact you to confirm if your request was approved or denied. The GP reserves the right to deny a request for a fit note following assessment of the information you have provided.

Request a fit note