How to get a sick note: GP, NHS App or private doctor
Every route to a sick note in the UK, from self-certifying to your GP, the NHS App, hospital and private doctors, and which one fits your situation.
The short answer. For the first 7 days you do not need a sick note: you self-certify. After that, ask your GP surgery for a fit note, in person, by phone or video, or through the NHS App if your surgery takes requests there. It is free if you have been ill for more than 7 days when you ask. NHS 111 online cannot issue one. A private doctor can issue a private certificate for a fee.
First, check whether you need one
If you expect to be back within 7 calendar days, counting weekends, you do not need anything from a healthcare professional. You report the absence and confirm it yourself when you return. The self-certification guide covers how.
You need a note once you have been off for more than 7 days in a row. Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) use the same point: once your health has kept you from working for more than 7 days, the claim needs a fit note.
How to get a sick note from your GP
This is the main NHS route. Book through your surgery’s normal system and say you need an assessment for a fit note. The clinician has to assess you, but that does not have to be in the room: DWP guidance accepts telephone and video consultations.
The note is free to NHS patients if you have been ill for more than 7 days when you ask. For 7 days or less, the surgery may charge or may decline, because self-certification covers that period. It can be handed to you on paper or sent digitally.
How to get a sick note on the NHS App
The NHS App lets you request a letter from your GP surgery, including a fit note, if your surgery has switched this on. Go to Appointments, then the option to request a letter or information. The NHS App help page explains the steps. A request is not a guarantee: the surgery decides whether to issue a note, and a clinician still has to assess you.
From hospital
Hospital doctors can issue fit notes. GOV.UK says the clinician responsible for your discharge should give you one where possible, rather than sending you to your GP. Ask before you leave.
From a nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist or pharmacist
These professionals can also issue fit notes if they are involved in your care, but the law does not oblige them to. Pharmacists in high-street pharmacies do not, because they do not have access to the NHS form. Pharmacists working in GP or hospital teams can.
Why NHS 111 online cannot issue a sick note
NHS 111 online lists issuing fit notes among the things it cannot do, and directs you to your GP. Use 111 for medical help you need now, not for paperwork.
Every route compared
Which route fits depends on how long you have been off, whether you are claiming benefits, and what your employer accepts.
| Route | When it fits | Cost | What you get | Works for benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-certify | The first 7 days | Nothing to pay | Your own written statement (SC2, employer form or email) | Not after day 7 |
| GP surgery | Day 8 onwards, or earlier at the GP’s discretion | Free if ill more than 7 days when you ask; a fee is possible for 7 days or less | NHS fit note | Yes |
| NHS App request | Where your GP surgery offers letter requests | As for your GP surgery | NHS fit note, if the surgery issues one | Yes |
| Hospital | When you are treated or discharged from hospital | As for any fit note: free if ill more than 7 days when you ask | NHS fit note from the team responsible for you | Yes |
| NHS 111 online | Not available | Cannot issue fit notes; contact your GP | ||
| High-street pharmacy | Not available | Community pharmacists do not have access to the fit note form | ||
| Private online doctor | When your employer accepts private certificates | £47 with us; varies elsewhere | Private medical certificate | No |
From a private online doctor
A private doctor can assess you and issue a private medical certificate, which is not an NHS fit note. DWP guidance says employers can accept one as medical evidence in the same way as a fit note, if they agree. It is useful when your employer wants a doctor’s note and a GP appointment is hard to get, or for a short absence your GP will not certify.
Our private sick note is assessed by a GMC-registered UK doctor through an online questionnaire, with no appointment. The doctor may decline, and you get a full refund if a note cannot be issued on clinical grounds. Check with your employer before you start, and use an NHS fit note for any benefit claim. If you are unsure whether an employer will take an online certificate seriously, see are online sick notes valid.
How to get signed off work
Being signed off means a healthcare professional has assessed you and written that you are not fit for work, or that you may be fit with changes. You cannot be signed off without an assessment. To make the most of it:
- say when your symptoms started and whether you have already been off
- describe what your job involves and which parts you cannot manage
- mention anything that would help you stay in work, such as different hours
The clinician decides the outcome and the length. The difference between the NHS and private documents is set out in fit note or sick note. For the bigger picture, see the main guide to sick note rules.
Common questions
How do I get a sick note from my GP?
Contact your surgery in the usual way and ask for an assessment for a fit note. The consultation can be face to face, by phone or by video.
Can I get an NHS sick note online?
You may be able to request one through the NHS App, under Appointments and then the option to request a letter or information, if your surgery offers it. The surgery still decides whether to issue a note.
Can I get a sick note from 111?
Not from NHS 111 online. The NHS says 111 online cannot issue fit notes and tells you to contact your GP.
Can I get a sick note online for free?
The free route is your own GP surgery, including requests through the NHS App where offered, once you have been ill for more than 7 days. Private online doctors charge a fee.
How do I get signed off work?
You need an assessment by an eligible healthcare professional, who decides whether you are fit for work. Be specific about your symptoms and what you cannot do in your job. If you are a student rather than an employee, see sick notes for university students.
Can I get a sick note for less than a week?
You do not need one: you self-certify for the first 7 days. If your employer still wants a doctor’s note, they should cover any fee.
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.
Cannot get a GP appointment?
Answer an online questionnaire and a GMC-registered UK doctor decides whether a private sick note is appropriate. £47. Your employer decides whether to accept it.
Start your assessmentAssessed by a GMC-registered UK doctor. Full refund if a note cannot be issued on clinical grounds.