Fit notes following or during hospital treatment, surgery or fracture.
If you are likely to need a sick (fit) note when you come out of hospital or following outpatient attendance, please ask the doctor treating you in hospital to provide you with one before you leave. This is because the decision on how long you need off work is made by the clinician who has assessed and treated you. If you have forgotten to do this, please contact the hospital and ask for a fit note to be posted or texted to you.
If you’ve been off sick for more than 7 days
To request a sick note:
- fill out a sick note request form
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.
However some employers insist on a Doctor’s note regardless. A Doctor’s note under these circumstances may involve a charge.
Find out more about sick notes on the NHS website.