Sick notes are also known as ‘Fit notes’.
These notes are the medical statement used by healthcare professionals to provide advice about the impact of your health on your ability to work. GPs do not provide sick notes for school children or those in education.
If you have been off work for seven days or less, you do not need to contact us for a sick note.
Your employer should not ask for medical evidence that you have been ill. Instead, they may ask you to complete a form when you return to work. This is called self-certification.
If your employer doesn’t have their own form you can complete the self-certification form on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ask-your-employer-for-statutory-sick-pay.
If you have been off work for more than seven days, you can request a sick note for your employer.
When you work out how long you’ve been off sick, the seven days include days that you don’t normally work, so you should include weekends and bank holidays.
If you have been off sick for more than seven days
If you have been off sick for more than seven days, you can request a sick note by:
- Submitting an admin request for a sick note via Anima during our opening hours (Mon-Fri, 8am-6.30pm)
- Alternatively, call 01329 845777 or visit the surgery during our opening hours
Your sick note will be sent to the email address or mobile phone number on your health record.
Sick notes will be issued within 3 – 5 working days, but are usually completed quicker than this.
If you are still sick and your sick note is due to expire
If you have continue to be off sick after your sick note expires, you will need to contact us to request a new/repeat sick note.
You can request this by:
- Submitting an admin request for a sick note via Anima during our opening hours (Mon-Fri, 8am-6.30pm)
- Alternatively, call 01329 845777 or visit the surgery during our opening hours
Your sick note will be sent to the email address or mobile phone number on your health record.
Sick notes will be issued within 3 – 5 working days, but are usually completed quicker than this.
Guidance on sick/fit notes for school children
Guidance on fit notes for school children and absences from examinations from the British Medical Association
It should be noted that GPs do not provide sick notes for school children or those in education.
When children are absent from school owing to illness, schools may request a letter from a parent or guardian, and this is no different during an exam period.
However, children who have missed exams due to illness are frequently told by schools that a note from a doctor is required; but this cannot be provided by a GP.
Aside from the fact that parents/guardians are responsible for excusing their children from school, GPs cannot provide retrospective sickness certification.
When a child suffers from a long-term condition, any certification will be provided by the responsible specialist.
The GPC (general practitioners committee) has sought and received confirmation from the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator that Awarding Organisations make no requirement for pupils to obtain a medical certificate in support of their application for special consideration.
Students are asked for information in support of their application, but this may take the form of a statement by the school.
The Joint Council for Qualifications has confirmed that as far as they are concerned, if a student was absent from an examination as a result of illness and has the support of the school or centre to be absent, special consideration will be granted on that basis.
Awarding organisations do not insist that medical proof is provided.
Please refer to the Wessex LMC website for more information on the guidance General Practice follows:
Thank you for your co-operation.