sick note

On 6 April 2010, the current Forms Med 3 and Med 5 were replaced with a single revised Statement of Fitness for Work

General points:

• NHS General Practitioners are required to issue, free of charge, a Statement of Fitness for Work to patients for whom they provide clinical care
• other doctors are also required to issue Statements where appropriate to patients for whom they provide clinical care
• you do not need to issue a Statement to a patient until they have been off work for more than 7 calendar days
• the Statement may be issued:
  • on the day that you assessed your patient;
  • on a date after you assessed your patient if you consider that it would have been reasonable to issue a Statement on the day of the assessment; or
  • after consideration of a written report from another doctor or registered health care professional

Also forms Med 4 has been withdrawn (in addition to Med 6 and RM 7).

To claim Statutory Sick Pay for illness of 7 days or less, the patient may self certify using the appropriate form.

Last reviewed 03/2021