Request a fit (sick) note for work

Last Updated: Monday, 19 October 2026

You can request a new fit note (sometimes referred to as a sick note) or a fit note extension:

• During your GP consultation
• Using an online form
• Over the phone (fit note extensions only)

Please allow about 7 working days to process your request.

If your current fit note ends while you are waiting, we can backdate a new fit note if appropriate, following clinical review.

If you've been off sick for 7 days or less

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.