Sick (fit) note

If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days

To request a sick note:

For first fit notes, you will need to book an appointment. Follow-on fit notes can be requested through the online form.

If you have had a hospital procedure, you should request a fit note from the hospital team.

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.

Find out more about sick notes on the NHS website.