Private Certificate of Sickness

The Cedars Surgery wilderness medical centre

Information for Patients

An employer may require an employee to provide a doctor's certificate after more than seven days' sickness. These certificates can be supplied by your GP, hospital doctor or dentist. To claim Statutory Sick Pay for illness of 7 days or less, the patient may self-certify using the appropriate form.

 An SC2 self-certification form is used by an employee to provide their employer with details of sick absences of 4 or more days in a row. The completed SC2 form is then used to help decide whether or not the employee is entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Your employer should have SC2 forms for you to complete.  GPs are not obliged to issue NHS medical certificates for periods of sickness of less than seven days' duration. However, if a patient requires a short-term certificate, the GP is entitled to charge a fee.  Some employers may request certificates for short periods of sickness. If you employer requires a sick certificate covering the first 7 days of sickness then they should write to your GP requesting a private sick note. Your employer will need your consent to do this and will be required to pay a fee. The consent template on the reverse of this document can be used by your employer when requesting a private sick note.

Obtaining an NHS Certificate of Sickness (Fit Note)

You should call your GP surgery who will tell you whether you should:

 make an appointment to see your GP, or  request a telephone consultation with your GP

Your fit note will be issued on the day that your GP examines you or speaks to you. If your fit note is issued based on a telephone assessment, you will need to collect it from your GP practice, or you can ask someone else to collect it for you.

If you’ve already seen your GP or your GP has access to documentation from another health care professional and you need to ask for a fit note, they may issue a fit note without seeing you again.

Requests for NHS Fit Notes or Private Sickness Certificates should not be made by booking an Emergency on the day appointment with your GP, unless you have symptoms that need urgent medical attention.

Dr Marek Stawarz, Dr Joanne Donnelly, Dr Clare Nieland, Dr Amandeep Dosanjh Associates: Dr Rajul Mehta, Dr Thieu Ngo & Dr Dushyanthi Maheswaran 8 Cookham Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 8AJ Telephone 01628 620458 Fax 01628 633270 www.thecedarssurgery.co.uk The Cedars Surgery wilderness medical centre

PATIENT CONSENT

I here by give my doctor permission to issue a Private Sickness Certificate to my employer.

Consent Given To: ……………………………………………………

Consent Given By: ……………………………………………………

Patient Date of Birth: ……………………………………………………

Patient Signature: ……………………………………………………

Date: ……………………………………………………

A £40 fee is payable for issuing a Private Certificate of Sickness. Payment due before certificate can be released.

Dr Marek Stawarz, Dr Joanne Donnelly, Dr Clare Nieland, Dr Amandeep Dosanjh Associates: Dr Rajul Mehta, Dr Thieu Ngo & Dr Dushyanthi Maheswaran 8 Cookham Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 8AJ Telephone 01628 620458 Fax 01628 633270 www.thecedarssurgery.co.uk