If you are off work sick for seven days or less, your employer should not ask you for a doctor's certificate. You will need a medical certificate if you are off work sick for than seven days. The seven days include days that you don't normally work. So when you work out how long you've been off sick, you should include weekends and bank holidays.

Your employer 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. This is called self-certification.

Self-certification forms usually include details such as:

• information about your sickness or illness
• the date your sickness started
• the date your sickness ended

These dates may be days that you don't normally work. For example, your sickness could start or end on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday.

Many employers have their own self-certification forms. If your employer doesn't have their own form, instead they may use an SC2 form from HM Revenue & Customs Employee's Statement of Sickness.

Download a template self certifcation form

If you are sick and off work for more than seven days, your employer will normally ask you to provide a medical certificate from your GP.

When you need a certificate will also depend on your employer's company policy on sick leave (or sickness absence). This policy should tell you how many days you can be off sick before you need a note.

To find out about your employer's policy:

• ask your team leader or supervisor, or
• speak to someone from your human resources (HR) or personnel department

To get your first sick note you will have to call the surgery to speak to the GP unless you have attended A+E and the surgery has proof of an illness. 

A medical certificate note must be signed by a doctor. The GP can say you are not fit for work

There is also space for the GP to give advice to your employer and suggest common ways in which your employer can help you return to work such as allowing you to work part time or temporarily or by changing your duties, for example, if you have back pain, avoiding heavy lifting.

If you have seen a doctor at the practice regarding the problem you need a medical certificate for (or we have received a letter from the hospital about your sickness) you many not need to see the doctor again. You may call reception to request the sickline and once ready, can be collected or emailed to yourself.

If you have not seen a doctor at the practice and we have had no information from a medical professional about your illness, you will not be able to get a certificate without an appointment. Please book a routine telephone appointment; urgent appointments are only provided for genuine medical emergencies and not for the purpose of certificates.

In either case there are rules governing the issue of sick certificates and the GP may not be able to supply one, depending on the information you provide.

If you are under the care of a hospital, your certificate may be issued by the hospital, rather than by the practice.

There is no need to a 'return to work' note. Once your sickline has ended, you are able to return to work without any notes from your doctor.

If your certificate runs out, but you are still sick, you do not need to consult the doctor again before you can get a further certificate. You can speak to a receptionist to organise a repeat sickline.

However, the GP may ask you to book in for a review with a clinician at the practice before a repeat sickline.

Fit certificates can be back-dated so it is not necessary to make an emergency appointment to renew your certifiate.

Fit certificates cannot be forward dated. So only request another once the previous one has run out.