Sometimes what you need from a doctor is a signature: a certificate for an employer, a school, a sports event, a travel company or an insurer. Our GPs can assess you and issue the appropriate certificate the same day, with the details the person asking for it needs.
Certificates and letters we are asked for
- Sickness certificates and letters confirming that you are, or are not, fit to work
- Fitness to travel or to fly, including in pregnancy
- Fitness to take part in a sport, a race, an expedition or a diving course
- Fitness to study, to sit an exam or to return to school after an illness
- Letters about a medicine or a medical device you need to carry when travelling
- Forms from insurers and other organisations that ask for a doctor's statement
Commercial driving medicals have their own page: see D4 driver medicals.
What happens at the appointment
A certificate is a doctor's professional statement, so it rests on an assessment, not on a request. The GP asks about your health and the reason for the certificate, and examines you where the form requires it: blood pressure, heart and lungs, eyesight or a urine test are common. If the doctor can state what the form asks, it is completed and signed during the appointment. If they cannot, for example because a test result is needed or the examination finds something that should be looked into, they will tell you why and what the next step is.
What to bring
- The form itself, or the exact wording the organisation has asked for
- Photo identification
- A list of your medicines and any relevant hospital letters or results
- Your glasses or contact lenses, if eyesight is part of the form
It helps to read the form before you come. Some sections are for you to fill in, and some organisations want the certificate dated within a set number of days of the event or the journey.
Good to know
A private certificate is widely accepted, but the decision belongs to whoever is asking for it. If the certificate is for your employer, check what they accept: for the first seven days of an illness you can normally self-certify, and for longer absences some employers ask specifically for an NHS fit note. A doctor can certify only what they have assessed, so a certificate cannot be backdated to cover a period when you were not seen.
Common questions
How quickly can I have it? In most cases at the end of the appointment.
What if my form needs a test? The GP can arrange blood tests or other checks, and completes the form once the result is back.
Do I need to be a regular patient? No. Book a GP appointment and say what the certificate is for, so that enough time is set aside.
