Sick notes, letters and medical reports
Need a sick note for work, a letter from your GP, or a medical report or form filled in? This page explains how to ask for one, how long it takes, and what it costs when the NHS does not cover it.
The basics at a glance
Off sick 7 days or less?
You do not need a sick note. You can “self-certify” – simply tell your employer yourself. There is no need to contact us at all.
Off sick more than 7 days?
You may need a sick note (officially called a “fit note”). It is free. The quickest way to ask is online through PATCHS.
Letters, reports & forms
Hand these in at reception – never to the doctor in an appointment. Most private work is chargeable and we hope to complete it within 6–8 weeks. See the fees.
This page is for paperwork only
Please do not use PATCHS or paperwork requests for urgent medical problems. If someone is seriously ill, call 999. If you need medical help now and it is not an emergency, call 111 or visit NHS 111 online (opens the NHS website).
Sick notes (fit notes)
A sick note is a legal document from a healthcare professional. It confirms that you were assessed and that a health problem affects your ability to work. Its official name is a “fit note”, because it can also say what work you could manage – for example, lighter duties or shorter hours.
The first 7 days: you do not need a note
For the first 7 calendar days of any illness – including weekends and bank holidays – the law lets you “self-certify”. That means you tell your employer yourself that you are unwell. Your employer may ask you to fill in a simple form (often called an SC2) when you return. You do not need to see a GP just to prove a short illness, and we cannot issue NHS sick notes for those first 7 days.
If your employer insists on a doctor’s note within the first 7 days, that is a private request and a fee applies (see private sick note in our fees list). Your employer, not you, is normally expected to cover that cost – ask them first.
After 7 days: ask us for a fit note – it is free
If your illness lasts more than 7 days, your employer can ask for a fit note. NHS fit notes are free of charge. Fit notes can be issued by doctors and also by other registered professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists – so the right person for your problem can help you.
Your sick note arrives on your phone – not on paper
All our sick notes are now issued electronically and sent straight to your mobile phone. You can then forward the note to your employer by email or message in seconds – no collecting, no posting, no lost paper.
We no longer give out paper sick notes. Going paper-free saves printing and travel, and it is kinder to the environment. Electronic fit notes are fully legal and accepted by employers and the Department for Work and Pensions. If you have no mobile phone or email, tell reception and we will find another way to get your note to you.
Why we cannot backdate a sick note
A sick note is a legal document. When a GP signs one, they are in effect saying: “I assessed this patient on this date and confirm they had this problem.” The date on the note has to be the date the clinician actually assessed you – a GP cannot write an earlier date, because that would not be true, and doctors must only sign what they know to be true.
A note can only cover an earlier period if a clinician assessed you at that time about the same problem, or has written evidence of it – for example, a hospital letter from when you were unwell. So if you think you may need a sick note, please contact us at the time you are unwell, not weeks later. Remember, the first 7 days need no note at all.
Need your sick note extended?
If you are still not well enough to work when your note runs out, ask us before it ends. You can request an extension through PATCHS without an appointment. The clinician will review your record and may phone you – not every extension needs a face-to-face visit.
The fastest way: PATCHS
Give it a try – use it to ask about:
- Sick note requests and extensions
- Medical queries
- Test results
- Letters
Get advice and treatment by the end of the working week – without waiting on the phone.
GP letters, medical reports and forms
This includes things like insurance reports, HGV and taxi medicals, employment medicals, housing letters, gym forms, holiday cancellation forms and “to whom it may concern” letters. Most of this work is not paid for by the NHS, so a fee usually applies.
How to hand in a form or request a letter
-
Bring everything to reception
Hand your form or written request in at the reception desk, with any paperwork that goes with it. Please do not give forms to the doctor during an appointment – we have a dedicated team who log, track and chase every request, and forms handed to a GP mid-clinic can easily be mislaid.
-
Pay the fee when you hand it in
Reception will tell you the fee before any work starts. Payment is taken in advance – this lets the doctor get straight on with the work.
-
Our team logs and tracks your request
Your request goes on our tracking list, so nothing gets forgotten. The team arranges for a GP to complete it and keeps an eye on anything outstanding.
-
A GP completes the work
The doctor checks your medical record carefully before signing anything – even a “simple” form. They are legally and professionally responsible for every word.
-
We contact you when it is ready
We will let you know when your report or letter is ready, or send it directly where the form asks us to.
How long will it take?
We hope to complete reports and letters within 6 to 8 weeks. Some weeks are extremely busy with patients who are unwell and simply must come first – so occasionally it may take a little longer. Thank you for understanding that patients’ health has to take priority.
If you need something by a fixed date – a court date, a job start, a licence renewal – please hand it in as early as you possibly can.
Why is there a fee?
The NHS pays us to look after your health and treat you when you are unwell. It does not pay for work done for insurers, employers, solicitors or other private organisations – so, like every GP practice, we have to charge for it.
A form may look quick to fill in, but the doctor must check your whole record first and is held personally responsible for what they write. Compared with what a solicitor’s letter or even a basic car diagnostic check costs, we think our fees are fair for professional medical work.
Squeezed in around patient care
Our GPs do this paperwork on top of full clinics, home visits, test results and prescriptions. They make time for it because they know you can be stuck without it – but NHS patient care always comes first, which is why reports sometimes take a little while.
You are always welcome to make a request, but it is ultimately the GP’s decision whether they can take it on. A doctor can also only write what your medical records support – they cannot add opinions or statements that the records do not back up.
Copies of your medical records are free
You do not pay to see or receive a copy of your own medical records. You can view much of your record instantly and free in the NHS App (opens the NHS website), or make a written request (a “subject access request”) to the practice. Under UK data protection law, the old per-page charges no longer apply.
Our private fees
Some of the paperwork we are asked to do – letters, reports and forms for insurers, employers and other organisations – is not part of the NHS. The NHS pays your GP to look after your health, and nothing else. So when a doctor completes a private report, they do it in their own time, on top of full clinics, home visits, test results and prescriptions – often at the end of an already long day. That is why a fee applies, just as it does at every GP practice in the country.
We have tried hard to keep our fees fair, and they are in line with what the British Medical Association considers reasonable for this kind of work. They also compare well with what other professionals charge – a single letter from a solicitor often costs more than most items on this list, and even a garage will typically charge around £50 just to plug a computer into your car for a few minutes. When you remember that your doctor must read through your whole medical record and take personal, legal responsibility for every word they sign, we hope the fees will feel fair.
Fees are payable in advance, when you hand in your request. One kind favour to ask: we receive dozens of forms and reports every month, and because doctors fit this work around caring for unwell patients, it can take 6 to 8 weeks. Every request is logged and tracked, so yours will not be forgotten – please wait until the 6 to 8 weeks have passed before calling for an update. It keeps our phone lines free for patients who are unwell, and we will contact you the moment your paperwork is ready. If the item you need is not listed below, just ask at reception before you hand anything in and we will confirm the fee.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Private sick note (within the first 7 days of illness, at an employer’s request) | £35 |
| Private prescription | Not provided |
| Private “to whom it may concern” letter | £40 if basic, £95 if detailed |
| Private letter needing review of records or a fuller report | £75 if basic, £150 if detailed |
| Private letter for an employer (occupational health) | £75 if basic, £150 if detailed |
| Private referral letter | £35 |
| Fitness to travel certificate | Not provided |
| Fitness for activity (school, new job, university, courts) | Not provided |
| Health club / gym “fit to exercise” form | Not provided |
| Freedom from infection / vaccination certificate | £50 |
| Holiday cancellation claim form | £60 |
| School fees insurance claim form | £45 |
| Seatbelt exemption certificate | Not provided |
| Concessionary travel (bus pass) form | £35 |
| Disabled parking bay / Blue Badge application support | £35 |
| Third-party letters (immigration and similar) | £80 |
| Childminder OFSTED health declaration | £70 |
| Police application to join | £70 |
| Driving licence photograph countersignature | Not provided |
| Power of attorney witnessing and mental capacity certificates – this practice does not provide these. A solicitor or another independent professional can help instead. | Not provided |
| Adoption and fostering report (AH / AH2) | £150 |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| HGV / PSV / taxi / racing driver medical examination and report | £170 |
| Pre-employment medical examination and report | £170 |
| Pre-employment report only (no examination) | £115 |
| Court of protection report (with or without examination) | Not provided |
| “Not fit to attend court” letter | Not provided |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Insurance examination and report | £260 |
| GP report for life assurance / income protection | £70 |
| Supplementary insurance report | £35 |
| Proforma insurance report (no examination) | £90 |
| Extract from records for an insurer | £70 |
Good to know about fees
- Fees are payable in advance, when you hand in your request.
- If an insurer, employer or solicitor is asking for the report, they – not you – should normally pay. Check with them first.
- NHS referrals, NHS fit notes (after 7 days of illness) and copies of your own records are always free.
- Some requests are genuinely quick and some take real time – where a letter needs a fuller review of your records, reception will confirm the fee before work begins.
Fees correct as of July 2026 and reviewed regularly. Please check the current fee at reception when you hand in your request.
Firearms and shotgun licence reports – a service we do not provide
Our GPs have chosen not to take part in the medical report stage of firearms and shotgun certificate applications. This is work GP practices are not required to do, and we have notified the police licensing team of our position.
This does not stop you applying – any suitably qualified doctor registered with the General Medical Council can complete the medical proforma for you (several private services provide this) – and you will need to do the research yourself. If you arrange one, ask them to contact us and we will send your full medical record directly to that doctor, as the licensing rules require.
Make it quicker – for you and for us
A few small things make a big difference to how fast paperwork gets done.
Ask early, not last minute
Hand forms in as soon as you get them. A request that arrives 5 weeks before a deadline is easy; one that arrives 3 days before is stressful for everyone and may simply not be possible.
Bring everything in one go
Hand in all the paperwork together – the form, any covering letter, reference numbers, deadlines and a pre-paid envelope if one was supplied. Half a form means a delay while we chase the rest.
Fill in your sections first
Complete every part marked for you – name, date of birth, address, signature and consent boxes – and leave the parts marked “for the doctor” blank. Forms with the GP sections filled in by patients have to be returned.
Check a GP is really needed
Some documents can be signed by any professional person who knows you – for example, passport applications do not need a doctor. Checking first can save you a fee and a wait.
Use one route, once
Send your request one way only – PATCHS or reception. Sending the same request by several routes creates duplicates, and duplicates slow everything down.
For sick notes, go online
PATCHS is almost always faster than phoning for sick notes and extensions – and you skip the phone queue entirely.
Do it all from your phone – join thousands of Ashcroft patients online
Signing up for our online services takes a few minutes and makes almost everything on this page easier. Once you are set up, you can:
- Request sick notes and extensions without phoning
- Order your repeat prescriptions in a few taps
- Ask about letters, test results and medical queries
- See your own GP health record, safely and free
Every request made online frees up our phone lines for patients who cannot use the internet – so going online helps your whole community, not just you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send my electronic sick note to my employer?
Your note arrives on your mobile phone as a secure link or document. Open it, then forward it to your employer by email or message – just like sharing a photo. Employers accept electronic fit notes; they are fully legal and have been standard across the NHS since 2022. If you get stuck, ask a family member to help, or contact reception.
I was ill last month and my work now wants a note. Can you backdate one?
Only if a clinician assessed you at the time about the same problem, or there is written evidence of the illness – such as a hospital letter. A sick note is a legal statement that says, in effect, “I assessed this patient on this date.” A doctor cannot honestly write a date on which they did not see you. Remember: no note is needed for the first 7 days anyway – you self-certify those.
My sick note is running out and I’m still not well. What do I do?
Request an extension through PATCHS a few days before your note ends. A clinician will review your record and may phone you. You will not always need an appointment.
Do I pay for a sick note?
NHS fit notes – the ones you need after more than 7 days off sick – are free. The only sick note that carries a fee is a private one requested within your first 7 days of illness, usually because an employer insists on early evidence. In that case the employer should normally cover the cost.
Why does my report take weeks when it’s “just a form”?
Before signing anything, the doctor must read through your medical record so that every answer is accurate – they are professionally accountable for each word. This work is done around full clinics of unwell patients, who must come first. That is why we ask for 6 to 8 weeks, and occasionally a little longer.
Can I ask the GP to change what a letter or report says?
You can tell us anything you would like considered, and you can ask to see certain reports before they are sent. But the final wording is the doctor’s. They can only include statements your medical records support – they cannot add opinions or claims the records do not back up, however helpful that might feel.
Do I need a letter to be excused from jury service?
If you are medically unfit for jury service, ask reception about a supporting letter – confirming unfitness for jury service is one of the few pieces of paperwork doctors are required to help with. Check the court’s paperwork first, as it explains exactly what evidence they need.
I had private treatment. Who gives me my sick note?
The specialist treating you should issue any fit note connected to your private treatment – for example, after a private operation. We would only take over if your recovery ran on longer than expected and we were then managing your care.
Accessibility options
Your choices are saved on this device only. Nothing is shared or tracked.