Sickness/Fitness Notes

A sick note, also known as a fit note, is a document from a healthcare professional that states whether an employee is fit for work.

SICK NOTE REQUESTS MUST ONLY BE MADE BY REGISTERED PATIENTS.

0-7 days: Self-certification

If employees are off work for 7 days or less, they do not need to give their employer a fit note or other proof of sickness from a healthcare professional. When they return to work, their employer can ask them to confirm they’ve been off sick. This is called ‘self-certification’. The employer and employee will agree on how the employee should do this. They might need to fill in a form or send details of their sick leave by email. Please find the self-certification form here.

7 days onwards: Fit notes and proof of sickness

Employees must give their employer a ‘fit note’ (sometimes called a ‘sick note’) if they’ve been ill for more than 7 days in a row and have taken sick leave. This includes non-working days, such as weekends and bank holidays. The fit note will say the employee is either ‘not fit for work’ or ‘may be fit for work’.

If it says the employee ‘may be fit for work’, employers should discuss any changes that might help the employee return to work (for example, different hours or tasks). The employee must be treated as ‘not fit for work’ if there’s no agreement on these changes. Employers can take a copy of the fit note. The employee should keep the original.

Want to obtain a sicknote?

To obtain a sicknote, you will need to self-certify for the first 7 days, after this you will need a GP review appointment before we can issue the sicknote.

After your appointment, Highfield Surgery policy now states that you must visit the link here and fill out the ‘Accurx’ form. Please note we cannot future-date a sicknote. But you will be getting it in a later date as it is not an urgent medical need. Please do request on the day you need the note to start or a date prior to this.

The sicknote can be either be sent to you electronically or we can provide a printed copy.