Getting a doctors note?

So basically fell ill at a really bad time, have a missed an exam and looks like I'll miss another at this rate, and to get an uncapped resit I'll need a doctors note.

Never have gotten one before, can I go when I'm feeling well enough (hopefully before the weekend) to make it there and explain my symptoms in retrospect?

Reply 1

Tiger Rag

I would go when I was ill and not after. How could you prove that you were ill?

Reply 2

chris300

They won't be able to give you one in retrospect. You have to pay for a doctors note and it's a type of prescription. Still go, they might make an exception.

Reply 3

Tiger Rag

Original post by chris300

They won't be able to give you one in retrospect. You have to pay for a doctors note and it's a type of prescription. Still go, they might make an exception.

I've never had to pay for doctors' notes. Not the one the OP is referring to anyway.

Reply 4

tehforum

Original post by Chihiro94

go now

Reply 5

chris300

Original post by OU Student

I've never had to pay for doctors' notes. Not the one the OP is referring to anyway.

In my (and others) experience, they usually ask for a small fee (£15-30). Google says the same.

Reply 6

Tiger Rag

Original post by chris300

In my (and others) experience, they usually ask for a small fee (£15-30). Google says the same.

I think you're thinking of something else. You don't pay for the doctors note (fit note) which states that you're ill and why.

Not every surgery charges for letters.

Reply 7

chris300

Original post by OU Student

I think you're thinking of something else. You don't pay for the doctors note (fit note) which states that you're ill and why.

Not every surgery charges for letters.

Yeah, I agree. Apparently, charging for it is at the GPs discretion. Seems like a pretty crappy thing to charge for personally. I'm thinking of the note that takes about a week for most GPs to generate.

Reply 8

Egypt

Original post by OU Student

I think you're thinking of something else. You don't pay for the doctors note (fit note) which states that you're ill and why.

Not every surgery charges for letters.

You're getting a bit mixed up!

A fit note is only required after more than one week off work. It is also for your employer, not school, university or any other organization.

In addition, even if you did complete a Med3 (fit note), in a case like this the doctor would be obliged to tick the fit for work box. The form is not job specific so by ticking unfit for work you are stating that this person is incapable of doing any work, which is clearly not the case.

A letter from your doctor saying you were too I'll for school/uni work is not an NHS service. As such it is at the discretion of the doctor whether to charge or not.

OP I would go to your doctor while you are ill. If you don't the best you can hope for is a letter saying "this person tells me he/she was unwell last week, I did not see them during this illness".

As a side note, I don't think it is unreasonable to charge for private work. Think how much a letter from a solicitor/accountant would be, or how much you would pay for 20 minutes of your plumbers/electricians time.

Reply 9

username1743393

Original post by Egypt

How would the OPs circumstances differ if they had food poisoning etc? This is something which is unforeseen and unexpected but also something which when displaying symptoms the OP cannot just walk to the GP to get a doctor's note as the symptoms they would display e.g. vomiting diarrhea would prevent them from doing so. What would he/she do then?

Reply 10

Egypt

Original post by Tourminator

They would need to get in touch with their doctor. Most surgeries have telephone appointments.

Whilst the doctor still does not have definitive proof that you were ill this is still better than contacting them after the illness has resolved.