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GP Sick Note Requests for Schools

GPs are often requested to provide sickness certification for when children are absent from schools usually from parents who are misdirected by their school.

GPs do not provide sickness certification.  Your relationship with the school should be such that any concerns over a child's absence can be resolved without the need for you or the school to ask your GP to provide any supporting evidence.

In some cases the school may request supportive evidence. In these cases, schools nationally have been asked to accept a prescription or an appointment card as evidence rather than a GP letter. When an appointment is booked we are able to send a text confirming the appointment date and time (please ask for this when your appointment is booked), or there may be a prescription issued.

GPs are not obliged to provide a view on a pupil who has missed a higher than average (10%) number of school days.

Relating to requests for special consideration

The following national guidance has been sent out to all GP’s, schools and colleges by the General Practitioners’ Council/ British Medical Association:

Schools and colleges should note that GPs will not provide sick notes in support of special consideration applications. A medical certificate is not necessary when making an application for special consideration where a candidate misses an exam or their performance in an exam is affected as a result of a temporary illness/injury. As long as the school/college supports the application for special consideration this is considered sufficient evidence.

In these above situations, please arrange to discuss your child’s educational requirements directly with the school. Your relationship with the school should be such that the school is able to submit an application to the examination board without the need of GP evidence.

If, in a very rare situation, the school feels that further supportive evidence is required before they are willing to either support or submit an application to the examination board, then this first needs to be discussed with you as the parent. If no agreement can be met between school and parent, and it is felt that a GP letter is required, then again, agreement will have to be reached between the school and parent as to who will meet the fee associated with such a GP letter. As this is non-NHS work, there will be a fee.