Fit Notes: How to Handle Work Absences

Remember to login with your NHS App

Useful contacts

REFERRALS	CONTACT & LINKS
West Middlesex Appointments line	Outpatients contact details – or call 0203 315 6666
See current hospital wait times.	For West Middlesex click here
Xray – Walk in service in West Middlesex	Radiology, Monday to Friday 0800-1600. You can call 0208 321 5872
Ultrasound at West Middlesex, if you meet referral criteria.	Radiology will contact you if you meet You can call 0208 321 5872
Children’s Blood Tests	Book using this link You can buy EMLA Cream from the pharmacy. We do not issue a prescription.
Fertility Referrals	Referral need to meet criteria in the NHS. More here.
Semen Analysis	You will need to book an appointment Please take your referral letter. Email imperial.andrology.queries@nhs.net Phone: 0203 3134680

SELF REFERRALS	CONTACT & LINKS
Congratulations on getting pregnant!	Watch this video and complete this self referral form.
Family Planning Clinic	Heart of Hounslow. 92 Bath Road, TW3 3EL. 0208 630 1424
Sexual Health Clinic	Heart of Hounslow. 92 Bath Road, TW3 3EL. 0208 630 1424
Termination of Pregnancy	Book using this link or call 020 3350 4300
Talking Therapies, counselling	You can refer yourself using this link.
Mental Health Crisis	Urgent help available here or call 0800 328 4444
Physiotherapy – Musculoskeletal Service	More information here or you can self refer or call 0300 555 0107
Advice on diet, exercise and smoking	Self refer to Healthy Hounslow using this link.
Painful or painful red eye?	Evolutio call 0800 112 0070 between 0830-1700
Diabetic Retinal Screening	You should be contacted annually. You can call 0208 099 1122
Children’s Health Visiting Team	Local info on clinics, breast feeding and imms. Call 0208 973 34902
Children’s Speech & Language Therapy	Support with speech, communication or swallowing
Bowel Screening Programme	Book using this link or call 0800 707 6060

ADVICE	CONTACT & LINKS
Unwell child. When should I worry?	Useful advice if your child is unwell.
What to expect from your cervical smear	Watch this help video by our nurse.
Travel Advice	For different countries. Fit for travel or Travel health pro.
Medical / Maternity Exemption	Can take up to 4 weeks, call 0300 330 1341 for any queries
Find your NHS Number	Use this link to get your NHS Number

Fit notes – previously known as sick notes

Fit notes from your GP are sometimes called sick notes. It can be confusing but the name change was made to make people think about things that they could do at work. So there may be things that you can do with a change in hours or duties at your work. There are other forms too such as prescription exemption forms, maternity exemption forms.

Fit notes (fitness to work certificates)

Less than 7 days – Fit note from you GP is not needed

If you’ve been off work for less than 7 days, you can fill out a self-certification form. Your employer has to accept this as proof of illness.

More than 7 days – Fit note needed

But if it’s been more than 7 days, we’re here to help! Just give us a call between 12 pm and 1 pm Tuesday to Thursday, and you can chat with a GP about what you need. They might ask you a few questions about your job and how long you’ll need off. We want to make sure you’re off work for the right amount of time and help you get back to work feeling good. Once you’ve answered the questions, we’ll usually get the sick note done the same day or the next, and we’ll send it to you via text message. And hey, all of this is totally free. We have lots of ways for you to request a sick note, so don’t worry about getting stuck. You can also request it online, but it might involve a few more questions, so calling is probably easier.

About half the people who have been off for 1 year, never return to work. Getting back to work will improve your health outcomes.

Certificates and reports

Medical reports are are outside the NHS. Sometimes they require an examination and usually mean that you have to pay a fee. You can often get free online access to your medical records and share that with your employer. It usually is enough. It is quick and it free. You can get this when your download the NHS App or use the links above.

Who

So, medical certificates can be for anyone who’s been off work for a week, or if you have a chronic condition and get free prescriptions. They can also be for things like proving you’re pregnant. Medical reports, on the other hand, are for things like insurance applications or getting a taxi driving license.

How

Getting a medical certificate is usually free and takes about 3 working days. We can backdate them but cannot forward date fit notes from a GP. But if you need a medical report, it’s a bit different. Since it’s not part of the regular NHS services, we are currently reviewing our policy around providing medical reports and letters.

We are currently reviewing our policy around providing medical reports and letters, as they are not funded or resourced by the NHS and so represent a private service for which patients are charged. Writing them invariably means reducing time allowed to perform “core work” (i.e. seeing patients at home and in the surgery, dealing with queries, results, referral letters etc). Each GP at the surgery is already working at full capacity.

We try and understand the type of information the patient requires, to see if this information can be provided in a different format like a patient summary. We can also give you a copy of your medical records to provide you with the opportunity to see if the letter could be done privately by an independent GP.

Proof of registration

If you need a letter to prove you’re registered with us, we’ve got you covered. We can offer a patient summary first to confirm your address, but if you prefer, we can provide a letter stating your registration. There’s a charge of £20 for this letter.

Driving medicals

Now, for driving medicals like those for Transport for London (TFL) or lorry license forms, there’s a bit more involved. These reports include a full face-to-face consultation with the GP, and they might need to go through your entire medical history. It’s best to get the eye test section done by an optician. Currently, we do not have capacity, but we are hoping to resume medical reports in the coming months. You can get a copy of your records and get it done by an independent doctor. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause.

Other reports

Now, there are some reports we’re finding it hard to manage due to high demand. For housing letters, it’s often better to share your housing conditions directly with the council, as they have their own medical advisors. Also, we don’t sign passport photos or any ID documents, but most solicitors’ offices or teachers can help with that.

If you have any questions about a report you need, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help and advise you on what to do!

Other Support services