The NHS provides sickness certification only after seven continuous days of illness. If you need a sick note to cover periods of sickness less than 7 days you should complete a Self Certification (SC2) form which is available from your employer or on the HMRC Website.
If an Employer insists on certification for illnesses less than 7 days in duration, then this will be subject to the currently applicable charge. We would like to remind Employers who request certification for minor self limiting illnesses lasting 7 days or less results in valuable GP appointments being taken up which should be reserved for more serious illness.
Please visit the Direct Gov Website or full information about fitness for work following a period of sickness.
Patients off sick for more than 7 days will usually need to make a GP appointment in order to assess the illness and need for certification unless there is correspondence from another Health care provider (eg Hospital/ A&E etc) to support the certification. Any Requests for appointments for certification purposes only will not be deemed urgent.
sick notes no longer need to be signed by a GP
Do I need a note saying I’m fit for work?
No. You do not need to see your GP again to be ‘signed back to work’.
Policy for sickness certification for school and college and exam certification
Our GP's will not provide sickness certification for absence from school. Please refer to the policy guidance article below.
Schools should ensure that that their own sickness absence policies do not encourage attendance to GP surgeries for minor self-limiting illnesses or for certification purposes
School Sickness Certification Guidance