From July 2022, fit notes can be certified and issued by nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists, as well as doctors, and no longer require to be signed.

Sick notes can only be issued when they are due. Although they can be back-dated, they cannot be future-dated. Please do not request an emergency consultation for a Sick/Fit Note.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Hospital Discharges 

If you have been discharged from the hospital, your hospital team will issue any fit notes for the entire period of your recovery. Please contact the ward staff (even after discharge) if this has not been done. To quote from the government’s own website regarding this:

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

ick notes should only be issued for people that are incapable of all work. If you feel that you are capable of some work but not your usual duties, you could consider this with your employer and they may be able to accommodate changes to your work or role to keep you working. When you consult us about a medical problem that affects your fitness to work we may consider this option with you. We can request your employer make some adjustments in a ‘May be fit for work’ note. This may allow you to get back to work sooner and support your recovery. If your employer cannot support the changes we request to keep you at work, they can just treat the note as a ‘sick note’ to allow you to be off work and support the payment of statutory sick pay.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)