Sickness Certification
Some consultations are taken up by patients coming to see the Doctor for a sick note when this is not necessary. There are clear guidelines for Doctors when issuing sick notes. You do not need to see the Doctor for an illness lasting for 7 days or less, but rather should complete a self-certificate, provided by your employer, when you return to work. If you have been a hospital inpatient, one of the hospital doctors will normally issue you with a sick not if you require it. Further information on this is available from the DWP website at Department for Work and Pensions.
For illnesses lasting less than 3 days: Your employer should not require a sick note
For illnesses lasting between 3 and 7 days: You should hand in a "self certificate" (SC1) which should be available from your employer. You do not need to see the Doctor for this.
For illnesses lasting more than 7 days: You will need a "Med 3" sickness certificate. You must see the Doctor to get one. It is only after 7 days absence from work that you will need this certificate.
For illnesses lasting more than than 7 days but where you saw a different Doctor (e.g. while away, or in casualty): You should see the Doctor for a "Med 5" sickness certificate. The Doctor must be in receipt of written evidence that you saw another Doctor. This certificate is also "backdated" if there is a gap between 2 successive Med 3 certificates given for the same illness.
For illness lasting longer than 28 weeks: You will be asked to see the Doctor for a "Med 4" certificate. This is a certificate on which the Doctor has to supply greater detail about your illness(es).