Sick notes
Page last reviewed: 16 December 2025
Page created: 16 April 2025
Page created: 16 April 2025
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To request an initial sick note:
You will need to arrange an appointment with the doctor to assess your current condition.
To request an extension sick note:
An extension will be permitted at the doctors discretion, they may ask to see you prior to extending again.
Please note: we cannot complete any notes that begin with any future dates, we can only create notes from the date of request, or we can backdate. If you ask for a note starting ahead of the current day, it may get rejected and you may be asked to re-request at a later date.
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.
Find out more about sick notes on the NHS website.