Med3 Fit Notes

A medical certificate can only be issued after you have been seen by a doctor.

1 – 7 days illness

A Medical Certificate is not required for the first seven days of an illness (including a weekend). Please instead use an employer’s form or an SC2 self-certification form which you can get from a Post Office or from www.hmrc.gov.uk

If a signed certificate is requested to cover this period, then a private certificate can be issued by the doctor but there will be a charge.

8+ days illness

After the first week, a Med3 medical certificate may be obtained as part of the consultation with the doctor. The Med3 certificate is free of charge.

Statement of Fitness for Work or ‘Fit Note’

Sick notes changed to ‘Fit Notes’ in April 2010.

What is the fit note? The Statement of Fitness for Work, or ‘fit note’, is a new Medical Statement. It replaces the old ‘sick note’ and aims to focus on what an employee may be able to do at work rather than what they cannot do.

In the past GPs have either said that ‘you should refrain from work’ or ‘you need not refrain from work’. The fit note offers a new option – ‘may be fit for work taking account of the following advice’.

A GP will be able to suggest ways of helping an employee get back to work. This might mean discussing:

• a phased return to work
• flexible working
• amended duties
• workplace adaptations.

The GP will also provide general details of the functional effect of the individual’s condition.