Get a Sick Note for Depression
Depression is a clinically recognised condition and a valid reason to take time off work, issued by a UK GP with full sensitivity and confidentiality.
You should not have to sit in a waiting room to get the documentation you need. Get a signed GP sick note most same day, all by 9AM next morning. No appointment needed.
✔ Depression, low mood, major depressive disorder and related conditions all covered.
✔ Treated with full clinical sensitivity and confidentiality.
✔ Most same day. All by 9AM next morning. From £47.
✔ Full refund if the GP cannot issue.
GET MY SICK NOTE 
Need ongoing support documentation? See also our sick note to give your employer, mental health support letter and stress leave certificate.
Get your medical certificate delivered straight to your inbox from £37
How It Works
Complete a short online questionnaire
No appointment required. Complete a short medical questionnaire and upload any supporting evidence.
Doctor reviews your evidence
A GMC-registered doctor reviews your submission individually. No automated approvals.
✔ Full refund if the GP cannot issue.
Receive your certificate
Certificates arrive most same day, all by 9AM next morning, delivered as a signed PDF direct to your inbox.
What our patients say
Verified reviews from real MedicalCert patients
Verified Patient
May 2025
Request at 10pm, certificate by 9am
Excellent service. Request was made at 10pm and turned around by 9am the next day. Very well written using the information provided.
Verified Patient
June 2025
Updated certificate sent free of charge
Amazing experience — got what I asked for in a short period of time, then they sent me an updated one with dates provided free of charge.
Marcus T.
January 2025
Sick note for work — professional and fast
My GP had a 3-week wait. MedicalCert issued a sick note within a few hours. The doctor was thorough, and my employer accepted it without question. Exactly what I needed.
Sick Note for Depression
Depression is a leading cause of workplace absence in the UK — HSE figures show that stress, depression, and anxiety together accounted for 22.1 million lost working days in 2024/25. A sick note for employment for depression is a medical document from a GMC-registered doctor confirming that your depression is affecting your ability to work and certifying a period of absence.
MedicalCert issues depression sick notes through GMC-registered UK doctors, same day, with no GP appointment needed. Depression is treated by law in exactly the same way as any physical illness — your employer cannot refuse a valid sick note, and you are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay while signed off.
For general guidance on mental health sick notes — including the 7-day rule, sick pay entitlement, SSP changes from April 2026, your legal rights, and what the certificate contains — see our mental health sick note guide. This page covers what is specific to depression.
Depression Symptoms That Affect Fitness for Work
A sick note is issued based on how your symptoms impact your ability to work — not on a formal diagnosis alone. Depression affects people very differently. The following are common functional impairments a doctor considers:
Persistent low mood and hopelessnessSustained depressive mood making it impossible to engage with work tasks, colleagues, or professional responsibilities.
Cognitive impairmentDifficulty concentrating, poor memory, slow thinking, or inability to make decisions — particularly debilitating in roles requiring sustained focus or judgement.
Sleep disturbance and fatigueSevere insomnia or hypersomnia, and persistent exhaustion that makes attendance or safe performance of work duties impossible.
Withdrawal and inability to leave homeDepression severe enough to prevent leaving the house, commuting, or functioning in a social or workplace environment.
Loss of motivation and anhedoniaComplete loss of interest in work and daily activities — inability to initiate or complete tasks that were previously manageable.
Physical symptoms of depressionHeadaches, appetite changes, psychomotor agitation or slowing, and physical exhaustion directly caused by depression.
Sick Pay for Depression — Including the April 2026 Changes
If you are signed off with depression, you are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in the same way as any physical illness — provided you meet the eligibility criteria.
Current SSP rules (until 5 April 2026)
SSP is payable from the fourth consecutive day of absence. The first three days are unpaid waiting days. You must earn at least £123 per week (lower earnings limit) to qualify. Current rate: £118.75 per week for up to 28 weeks.
New SSP rules from 6 April 2026 (Employment Rights Act 2025)
From 6 April 2026, significant changes take effect. The three-day waiting period is abolished — SSP is payable from your first day of absence. The lower earnings limit is also removed, meaning all employees qualify regardless of how much they earn. For employees earning below the previous lower earnings limit, SSP will be calculated at 80% of average weekly earnings or the flat rate of £123.25 per week — whichever is lower. These changes make depression-related sick leave more financially accessible, particularly for part-time and lower-income workers.
Your employer may offer enhanced sick pay above SSP under their company sick pay policy — check your employment contract or staff handbook. SSP is the legal minimum, not the maximum.
Your Legal Rights — Depression and Sick Leave
Key legal protections
Equal treatment: Under UK law, mental health conditions including depression must be treated with the same seriousness as physical illness. Employers who dismiss, discipline, or disadvantage an employee specifically for taking certified depression-related sick leave may face unfair dismissal or discrimination claims.
Equality Act 2010: Depression is likely to meet the Equality Act disability definition if it has had a substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities for 12 months or more (or is likely to). Where this threshold is met, your employer has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments and cannot discriminate against you on grounds of your condition. HSE data shows depression accounts for a growing share of long-term absences — many of these qualify as disabilities without the employee ever having formally raised it.
Confidentiality: Your employer cannot contact your doctor without your explicit written consent. You are not required to share any clinical detail beyond what appears on the sick note itself. You can choose how much to disclose to your line manager, HR, or colleagues.
Employer contact during absence: Your employer is entitled to maintain reasonable contact while you are off — but contact must not be excessive or pressurising, particularly for depression. Intrusive or frequent contact that worsens your condition could constitute a breach of the employer’s duty of care and, in serious cases, grounds for a constructive dismissal claim.
Returning to Work — Reasonable Adjustments for Depression
A sick note for depression can include recommendations for workplace adjustments to support a safe return. If your depression meets the Equality Act disability threshold, your employer has a legal duty to consider these. Common adjustments for depression include:
If you need documentation specifically focused on workplace modifications rather than absence, a work adjustment certificate provides a more detailed clinical framing for adjustment requests than a standard sick note.