Your employer 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 and will cover up to 7 days statutory sick pay.

Self-certification forms usually include details such as:

• Information about your sickness or illness
• The date your sickness started
• The date your sickness ended

These dates may be days that you don't normally work, for example; your sickness could start or end on a Saturday, Sunday or Bank holiday.

The Self-Certification Form (SC2) may be available directly from your employer or you can print it from the link below:

Self-Certification SC2 Form

Check the HMRC website for more information and guidance on statutory sick pay.

The Statement of Fitness for Work, commonly known as the ‘fit note’ or Med 3 form was introduced in 2010. Lay people may more commonly refer to it as a Sick note.

A fit note can be issued following a health and work assessment by any healthcare professional who may be responsible for your care plan, this can include a doctor, nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist, or physiotherapist. 

The fit note will provide advice to you and your employer about the impact of your health condition, where that may have an effect on your fitness for work.

It can either state you are not fit for work or you may be fit for work with either a phased return or ammendments made to your duties. 

• Phased return: Allowing you to work altered hours or part time hours temporarily until you are phased back into your previous working hours.
• Amendment of duties: Temporarily change your working duties to allow you to return to work. For example, if you have back pain you should avoiding heavy lifting.

The fit note is intended to support you stay in, or return to, work. It can also enable you to access health-related benefits or evidence eligibility for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). You can use your fit note to support a claim to benefits. 

Digital FIT notes are rolling out throughout the NHS however our system is not full equipped for this yet. 

FIRST TIME SICK NOTE

If you need time off work and you have not requested a sick note before, you may have to speak to a GP.

A first time sick note can be issued without talking to a GP for some reasons such as:

• Bereavement
• Fractures or Injuries (for which you have been medically assessed in secondary care)
• You have had hospital treatment such as surgery 
• You have recently been in an in-patient in hospital

If you need to take some time off work for other reasons you may be asked to make a routine appointment with a GP to discuss your circumstances and see if this is appropriate.

You can request a sick note by contacting our reception staff on: 02880761242

Please inform our reception staff if it is a new sick note and the reason it is required - This information is needed before a GP can issue a medical certificate for you.

CONTINUATION SICK NOTE

If you have been recieving sick notes for up to six months you may be asked to make a routine appointment with your GP for review of this. GP's can also add review dates to Sick notes where applicable, when they feel your condition may need reassessed sooner.

When you are requesting a continuation sick note please allow 2 working days for processing.