If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days
The NHS provides sickness certification only after 7 continuous days of illness.
To request a sick note:
- use the PATCHS service
- phone us on 0208 427 1213
If you’ve been off sick for 7 days or less
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. We call this self-certification.
If you need a sick note to cover this period of sickness you should complete a self certification (SC2) form which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.
Visit the Direct Gov website for full information about fitness for work following a period of sickness. After this period a NHS certificate may be issued but you will need to contact the surgery as it may be necessary to discuss your request with your GP.