Are online sick notes valid?
Whether an employer has to accept a sick note from an online doctor, what makes one credible, and where it will not work.
The short answer. Yes, with one distinction. An NHS fit note can follow a phone or video assessment and be sent digitally, and DWP guidance treats it like a face-to-face one. A private certificate from an online doctor is medical evidence your employer can choose to accept in the same way as a fit note. It is not accepted for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims.
Online NHS fit notes
Two rules make remote fit notes possible. Since April 2022 a fit note no longer needs an ink signature and can be shared digitally, as long as it is signed or names the professional who issued it. And DWP guidance accepts an assessment by telephone or video call, not only face to face. The regulations themselves describe consultations in person or by telephone, so the video route rests on DWP guidance.
A fit note from your GP after a phone call is therefore just as good as one handed to you in the surgery. An employer cannot ask for further medical evidence on top of it.
Private certificates from online doctors
A private online doctor issues a private medical certificate, not a fit note (the fit note and sick note comparison sets out the differences). GOV.UK says doctors in private practice may produce this kind of evidence, and DWP tells employers it can be accepted as medical evidence in the same way as a fit note, subject to their agreement. If your employer accepts it, they do not need to ask you for a fit note as well.
DWP also explains that a private report containing the information the regulations require can be treated as “a form to like effect”. That is why a properly written private certificate covers the same ground: who you are, the dates, the reason and the issuing doctor.
What to look for in an online certificate
- A named, registered clinician. The doctor’s name and GMC number should be on it, so your employer can check who signed it.
- A real assessment. Every note should follow an assessment of your fitness for work. A service that skips the questions is a warning sign.
- The possibility of a no. A genuine service can decline when a note is not appropriate.
- Clear dates and reason. The period you were unfit and the reason, in wording you agree.
Our private sick note is assessed and signed by a GMC-registered UK doctor, with the doctor’s name, GMC number and signature on the PDF. Not every request ends in a certificate: if the doctor declines on clinical grounds, the fee is refunded in full.
Where an online certificate will not work
- Benefits. For Universal Credit or ESA, the medical evidence has to be an NHS fit note.
- Employers who say no. Acceptance is your employer’s choice, so check their sickness policy or ask HR first. If yours rejects a note, see what to do when an employer won’t accept a sick note.
If you need an NHS fit note instead, how to get a sick note sets out the GP, NHS App and hospital routes. For the wider rules on who can sign you off, see the sick note rules.
Common questions
Are online sick notes valid in the UK?
An NHS fit note issued after a phone consultation is as valid as one from a face-to-face appointment, and DWP guidance treats video calls the same way. A private certificate from an online doctor is valid medical evidence, but your employer decides whether to accept it.
Do employers have to accept private sick notes?
No. DWP guidance says employers can accept them in the same way as a fit note, subject to their agreement. Your employer can say no and ask for a fit note instead.
Can an online doctor give a sick note?
Yes. A private online doctor can assess you and issue a private medical certificate. An NHS clinician can also issue a fit note after a remote consultation.
Can I use an online sick note for Universal Credit?
Only if it is an NHS fit note. A private certificate is not accepted for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
How can my employer check a sick note is genuine?
For an NHS fit note, the issuer may choose to confirm it was issued by checking its serial number, without giving medical details. For a private certificate, the doctor’s name and registration number let an employer check who signed it.
Sources. The legal, pay and clinical facts on this page were checked against these primary sources on 27 October 2026. Rules and rates change, and your employer’s own policy may add to them, so check your contract or HR policy too.
A doctor’s certificate, assessed online
GMC-registered UK doctors. Online questionnaire, no appointment. £47. Check your employer accepts private certificates first.
Start your assessmentAssessed by a GMC-registered UK doctor. Full refund if a note cannot be issued on clinical grounds.