Fit Notes and Proof of Sickness

• Employees must give their employer a doctor’s ‘fit note’ (sometimes called a ‘sick note’) if they’re off sick for more than 7 days in a row (including non-working days).

• Hospital doctors or GPs can provide a fit note. They may charge a fee if the note is asked for before the 7th day.

• The fit note will say the employee is either ‘not fit for work’ or ‘may be fit for work’.

• If it says the employee ‘may be fit for work’, employers should discuss any changes that might help the employee return to work (eg different hours or tasks). The employee must be treated as ‘not fit for work’ if there’s no agreement on these changes.

• Employers can take a copy of the fit note. The employee should keep the original.

Self-certification

• Employers can also ask employees to fill in a form when they return to work to confirm they’ve been off sick for up to 7 days. This is called ‘self-certification’. Employers usually provide their own version of this form.

Test Results

Please call the surgery after 15:00 to check test results; at this time the telephone is less busy and the receptionist will have more time to find the information you need.  Remember the results may take several days to be returned to the surgery. 

As we deal with hundreds of results every week we cannot contact every patient individually. We ask you to call us back for your results.

Screening

Screening is used to prevent people dying unnecessarily. You should be contacted by Screening Services Wales for the programme outlined below. Any questions look at their website: 

www.screeningservices.org.uk/csw

Bowel Cancer Age 60 – 74

2 yearly, 3 stool swab samples over 10 days. If positive have a more sensitive test and then possible magic eye.                      

Breast Cancer Age 50 to 70

3 yearly mamograms. Diagnoses 1000 per 100000 images per year                                                                                                                    

Cervical Cancer  Age 25yr+ 3 yearly, 50 + 5 yearly to 65.                                                                                                                                         

Abdominal Aortic Aneurism (AAA) 65 year old male