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) when you return to work, which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay). Proof of your illness typically comes from a ‘Fit Note’ which you can ask from your GP.

please note if you require a new sick certificate, you will need to make an appointment to discuss this with a clinician. If you are requesting a renewal, please contact the surgery who will pass this over to the clinician you are currently under. You may be asked to attend the surgery for a follow up or a reassessment. Please note if you choose not to attend we may not be able to issue you further certificates.

For more information see the DirectGov website.