Bridgnorth Medical Practice

Bridgnorth Medical Practice

FIT NOTES & SICK NOTES  : 

HOSPITAL INPATIENT & OUTPATIENT TREATMENT

I have been in hospital for over a week. The hospital asked me to get a note from my GP to cover this period.

If you need a sick note to cove a period when you have been in hospital as an in-patient, the hospital specialist has a responsibility to issue you with a sick note (called a “Med10” covering this period”.

I am under the specialist for a medical condition and attend outpatient clinics regularly for follow-up. The specialist has asked me to get a sick note from my GP.

Any sick note or fit note should be issued by the doctor who is treating you for the condition in question. If your care is shared between the hospital and the GP, then it may be appropriate for the GP to issue any necessary sick notes. However, if you are being treated entirely by hospital doctors, then you should as them to issue sick notes. It is a waste of your time and that of the GP to have to chase information from the hospital in this situation.

Many hospital doctors seem to be unaware of this aspect of the regulations. If the specialist queries this at your next clinic appointment, please refer them to the Dept. of Work & Pensions web site at :

            http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/fitnote-hospital-guide.pdf 

The hospital doctor refused to issue a sick note and told me to get one from my GP.

OK, we will see if we can issue you a sick note.

We will also write to the hospital specialist, if appropriate, to remind them of their responsibilities !