Dear Patient and/or Employer,
The Government’s rules around issuing a sick note (Med3) are that a medical professional can only issue a Med3 when an individual has had more than seven continuous calendar days off sick due to an illness (including weekends).
For any period of illness less than seven days, you are able to complete a self-certification certificate and provide this to your employer. Below is the address where this form can be downloaded:
- Website: Gov.uk
Sick Note Requests
- Employee’s statement of sickness to claim Statutory Sick Pay
- Patients may wish to obtain a copy of their medical record via their Patient Access account to evidence their health problems or medication list. Patients should contact reception if they wish to obtain their Patient Access login details.
ACAS have published guidance for employees and employers which can be referred to below:
Whilst we appreciate this may cause some difficulties between you and your employer, equally GPs have a responsibility to prioritise the assessment and management of the healthcare needs of patients who are acutely unwell, rather than spending time dealing with requests for sick notes, particularly when they aren’t in a position to issue one.