Bridgnorth Medical Practice

Bridgnorth Medical Practice

FIT NOTES & SICK NOTES  :  LONGER TERM ILLNESS

I have been off work for quite a long time and it isn’t certain when I will be able to go back to work. My doctor has been issuing sick notes for periods of 2 or 3 months at a time. Do I need to go back to see the doctor each time ?

Probably. The doctor needs to have evidence that you continue to be unfit for work. It is possible that the doctor may have a report from a specialist or a hospital that will allow the note to be done without seeing you. But remember, he/she may not yet have a report from your hospital specialist. It is best to ring and check.

If you need an appointment, please allow plenty of time for this. Make a note of when your previous sick note will expire and plan to make an advance appointment for your review.

I do not have a job and am on ‘long term sick’ and am claiming benefit. My sick note is due, can the doctor issue a sick note without seeing me ?

Probably not, unless the doctor knows you well, or there is a report available from another health professional which can provide evidence that you are not fit for work.

I have not been in work for a long time   [ or ] I have never been in paid employment.

As I have no employer, how can the doctor assess my fitness for a job ?

This can be difficult. The doctor may ask about the kind of work you may have had in the past.

He/she will generally base a decision about your fitness for work on the type of work for which you would be suitable given your education and training.

The Dept. of Work & Pensions has ruled that I am fit for work but I don’t agree.

I am appealing against a tribunal decision. Can I still get a sick note ?

If the DWP has assessed you and ruled that you are fit for work, they will send a letter to your doctor asking him/her not to issue any further sick notes unless a new episode of sickness occurs, or your condition changes. However, this does not apply if you are appealing against the DWP judgment.