Sick Notes
If you are unwell and cannot work, you may need a fit note for your employer. A fit note used to be called a sick note. Its full name is a Statement of Fitness for Work.
If you have been off for 7 days or less
You do not need a fit note if you are off work for 7 days or less, including weekends and bank holidays. For a short illness like this, you fill in your own form when you go back to work. This is called self-certification.
Your employer may have their own form, or they may ask you to use the SC2 form, which you can get from your employer or download from GOV.UK.
If you have been off for more than 7 days
If you are off work for more than 7 days, your employer may ask for a fit note as proof that you are unwell. A fit note will say that you are either:
- not fit for work, or
- may be fit for work, for example with lighter duties or different hours
If your employer cannot offer the support a fit note suggests, it is treated as saying you are not fit for work.
Who can issue a fit note
A fit note does not have to come from a GP. Nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists can also issue them. The healthcare professional looking after you will decide, after talking with you, what your fit note should say.
How to request a fit note
Please send us an online request.
Please send your request on the day your fit note is due, and not in advance. When you ask, please tell us:
- the date your illness started
- the date your last fit note ends, if this is an extension
- some detail about your condition
- whether this is a new request or an extension
A clinician will review your request and contact you if we need more information or an appointment.
Going back to work
You can go back to work before the end date on your fit note if you feel well enough. You do not need a new fit note or another appointment to do this. Just talk to your employer.
Fit notes from hospital
If you were treated in hospital, the hospital team should give you a fit note when you leave, covering the time you need to recover. If your time off is related to hospital treatment, the hospital should issue any further notes too. Please contact the hospital team if they did not give you one.
Notes and letters we charge for
An NHS fit note for an illness lasting more than 7 days is free.
Some other notes and letters are not part of NHS care. These include proof of illness for the first 7 days (your employer should pay for this if they ask for it) and letters for things like a gym, travel insurance or a holiday. They may take extra time and we may charge a fee. See Non-NHS services and fees.
More information
This page was last updated in June 2026.
