Same-day issue from GMC-registered GPs. Backdated notes available. Return to work certificates. From £100.
A fit note (Statement of Fitness for Work) is an official medical document confirming your fitness (or unfitness) to work.
After 7 days of absence from work due to illness, your employer can ask for a fit note instead of a self-certification sick note. Our GPs can issue fit notes quickly, including backdated notes if needed.
We also provide return-to-work certificates, phased return advice, and fitness-to-work assessments for various situations.
For current illness preventing work. No consultation needed if you've already seen a doctor.
£100
For dates when you were ill but didn't see a doctor at the time.
£100
If you need assessment by our GP first.
£100
Phased return or fitness-to-work assessment.
£100
Fitness or workplace adjustments assessment.
£100
Covering multiple weeks or complex cases.
£100
A fit note — formally called a Statement of Fitness for Work — replaced the old-style sick note in 2010 and gives GPs much more flexibility in supporting your return to work. Rather than simply stating you are unfit for work, a fit note can include tailored recommendations that make it easier for your employer to accommodate you during your recovery.
When a GP issues a fit note indicating you "may be fit for work" with adjustments, they can specify one or more of the following: a phased return to work with reduced hours, altered duties that avoid aggravating your condition, amended working environment such as a different workstation or removal of physical demands, or flexible start and finish times. Your employer is not legally obliged to implement these adjustments — but if they cannot, the fit note automatically functions as evidence that you are not fit for work, and your sick pay entitlement continues accordingly.
For the first seven calendar days of illness you do not need a fit note — you can self-certify using your employer's own procedures or a SC2 self-certification form. After seven days, your employer has the right to request a fit note. A GP can issue a fit note for any duration they consider clinically appropriate — from a few days to several months — depending on the nature of your condition.
Where a condition requires ongoing monitoring, we may issue a fit note with a review date, after which you return to discuss whether you are ready to return to work or require an extension. For longer-term conditions such as depression, back pain, or post-surgical recovery, a series of fit notes may be issued over several weeks or months.
Mental health conditions — including anxiety, depression, stress-related illness, and burnout — are among the most common reasons GPs issue fit notes. There is no need to feel that a mental health-related absence is less legitimate than a physical one. Our GPs treat all conditions with equal clinical rigour and will document your condition appropriately on the fit note, with as much or as little detail as is clinically necessary.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or work-related stress, we can also provide referrals to appropriate support and, where relevant, write letters supporting workplace adjustments or occupational health assessments.
If you are self-employed, a fit note from a private GP can be used to support claims for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), claim on income protection insurance policies, or document your medical absence for HMRC purposes. Some insurance providers and financial institutions specifically request a private GP letter or fit note to process income protection claims — our GPs are experienced in producing documentation that meets these requirements.
Need a fit note today?
We offer same-day private GP appointments at our Surbiton clinic. Book online or call 0208 133 5694. Fit notes are typically issued at the end of your consultation.
Book Same-Day AppointmentSame-day issue. Book now and get back to work with confidence.