If you are sick and off work for more than seven days, your employer will normally ask you to provide a medical certificate from your GP.

When you need a certificate will also depend on your employer's company policy on sick leave (or sickness absence). This policy should tell you how many days you can be off sick before you need a note.

To find out about your employer's policy:

• ask your team leader or supervisor, or
• speak to someone from your human resources (HR) or personnel department

In general, GPs in the UK cannot issue a sick note without medical evidence or an appropriate clinical assessment. Here’s a quick breakdown:

✅ What GPs need:

• Medical evidence of the condition affecting your ability to work.

• A consultation or recent appointment to assess symptoms (unless an ongoing long-term issue)

• Reasonable clinical judgment—they must be confident the person is or was unfit for work.

🚫 What GPs cannot do:

• Issue a sick note based solely on a patient’s request with no recent contact.

• Backdate a note too far without evidence of ongoing illness at the time.

• Provide a fit note for a period where no assessment or contact was made.

📝 Exception:

If it's for a very recent, short-term issue, and the GP has prior records or knowledge, they may use their discretion—but even then, they’ll often require a consultation.

To request a medical certificate the information opposite use the RapidHealth link - choose the 'questions and admin' where you will be able to request a sick note.  

Please allow 72 hours for this request to be processed.

https://ratby-consult.uk.rapidhealth.co.uk/

If your certificate runs out, but you are still sick, you may need to consult the doctor again before you can get a further certificate.

Fit certificates can be back-dated so it is not necessary to make an emergency appointment to renew your certificate.  Complete the links on this page to request an ongoing sick note and the admin team will contat you if any further details are needed.