Signing off sick note

stargirl73

Hi

Quick question - does anyone know the name of the medical certificate for signing back to work, i.e. med 3 or med 4 or such like?

Need to find some info about it but don't know what it's called to google it.

Could lead on to a not so quick question - can a doctor back date such a certificate?

I have been fit for work for some time now but have kept being signed off sick because work have been messing me about somewhat. My union rep pointed out to me a couple of days ago that if I had provided a fit to return to work note, they would have been obliged to pay me full pay from that date until they put systems in place for me to return to work. I didn't know this and I'm wondering if my GP were to backdate the certificate - would I be entitled to be paid from that date (my union rep seems to think so but.....)

I know it's probably very unlikely that my GP will back date the note to 6 months ago when I could have returned to work. But I'm hoping he could do it from the date my occupational health department said I was fit to return - which is stated in black and white in a letter dated about 6 weeks ago. Work have made arrangements for me to commence back at work on 2nd April, but it would obviously be very helpful if I could be paid from the date occ health said I was good to go.

I'm seeing my GP tomorrow and don't want to ask him something that is totally outwith his remit as he has been good to me over the years, but I would like to ask him if it's something that is possible.

Hope you can help!

Thanking you in advance

stargirl73

subsoniccoyote wrote: »

If I remember correctly from when I was a union rep, you do not need a doctor to sign you back to work. As long as you declare that you are fit for work you can return.

Really? That's interesting. The sickness policy at work states that you must be signed as fit by a medical practitioner (I have been on the sick for 3 and a half years now) and reviewed by occ health. Maybe different places have different rules - but I wish I'd known that some time ago - would have given it a try!

Thanks for your super speedy reply!

WorkingHardDFW

I would that very difficult since it a GP has been signing sick notes for six months and then turns round and signs a fit to return to work note for the same period! That would be very questionable from the company's point of view and I would expect that they would contest it strongly.

If you are now fit to return to work and have been signed fit by Occy Health then that is the date you should go for. If you have been off for a while then OH may have recommended a phased return (dependant on your company policy) for a period.

I would look to getting your return to work organised, you can't change whats happened in the past.

Good luck.

dmg24

If you are still within the time period of an applicable med cert, you need to be declared fit to work by your GP. This is primarily for insurance reasons, and to remove liability from the employer in case you decide to take them to Tribunal later for forcing you to work whilst having been declared unfit.

To declare someone fit for work, the GP completes for same form as if he was declaring you unfit.

There is no way that the GP would backdate the note saying that you are fit for work, as it contradicts his earlier professional opinion.

stargirl73

dmg24 wrote: »

If you are still within the time period of an applicable med cert, you need to be declared fit to work by your GP. This is primarily for insurance reasons, and to remove liability from the employer in case you decide to take them to Tribunal later for forcing you to work whilst having been declared unfit.

To declare someone fit for work, the GP completes for same form as if he was declaring you unfit.

There is no way that the GP would backdate the note saying that you are fit for work, as it contradicts his earlier professional opinion.

That makes sense - thanks! The last sick note my GP signed he put "until further notice" as the time I should be off until. I think primarily that was because until then, he'd been signing me off for two month blocks for the entire three and a half years that I've been off. Each time it came to renewal time - it was a complete and utter farce getting a new one. Once I'd explained the situation to the receptionists, they'd pass the message on to me GP, he would ask when I wanted it dating from, I'd give them the dates then they'd lose the bit of paper they wrote it on then I'd be on the phone asking if it was ready. This rigmarole took up a week of everyone's time every couple of months and I think he was rightly sick of it and wrote until further notice to stop this carry on. So there isn't a date as such on it. Do you think that would make any difference?

tigtag02

subsoniccoyote wrote: »

If I remember correctly from when I was a union rep, you do not need a doctor to sign you back to work. As long as you declare that you are fit for work you can return.

If you have a current sick note decalring you unfit for work then in order to return before the end date your GP MUST declare you fit.

cassy

when i was off work for 14 months i had to see my gp b4 he would sign me off

Scousebird_2

Legally, employers liability insurance will not cover you if you attend work and have not been signed back on. If they let you work, they are being negligent if anything happenes to you so you have to be certified back!

LittleVoice

Scousebird wrote: »

Legally, employers liability insurance will not cover you if you attend work and have not been signed back on. If they let you work, they are being negligent if anything happenes to you so you have to be certified back!

As long as it is past the "to" date of the medical certificate, it is OK to return to work. GPs do not want to waste their time seeing their patients who are fit to return to work. In the normal course of things, they do not issue fitness to work certificates.

Scousebird_2

No-I meant if you were still on a note and you go back before your note ends-Was speaking from personal experience but obviously if your sick note expires then yourgp has said you are ok for work so you wouldn't need a med 4 to go back-you could just go as you are not 'poorly' anymore, otherwise you'd have submitted a new sick note if you catch my meaning.

tigtag02

subsoniccoyote wrote: »

As long as you have signed a form declaring you are fit to retuen to work this covers them for insurance and negligence purposes.

This is not right. If you have a running Dr's sick note then you MUST be signed as fit to work by the GP in order to return before the end of the original Med4.

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