Temporary change regarding fit note submission requirements

December 21, 2021

The Government has announced a temporary change regarding fit note submission requirements. New measures are intended to increase GP capacity to support the COVID-19 booster programme.

This means that employees are not required to provide medical information in respect of the first 28 days of any spell of incapacity for work which either started during the period of Friday 17 December – Wednesday 26 January or which commenced prior to Friday 17 December but which had not lasted more than seven days on that date i.e. Friday 10 December.

In practice, this means that colleagues can self-certify for absences of up to 28 days during the period that the modification was introduced.

Managers are required to continue to maintain contact with employees during their absence and support facilitating a return to work at the earliest point.

If colleagues are concerned about their health, they should still be encouraged to go and see their GP with occupational health support also being available should this be required.

Please contact the HR team should you have any enquiries via the COVID HR contact advice line. You can contact them by emailing swb-tr.swbh-GM-HR-Enquiries@nhs.net or by calling 0121 507 6680.

More information is available by clicking here.