Sick Note for Bereavement
Medical documentation for bereavement leave, issued by a UK GP with full sensitivity and confidentiality.
Grief can make it impossible to work, and your employer may require documentation. Get a signed GP letter without having to explain yourself in a waiting room.
✔ Covers grief, acute bereavement and the psychological impact of loss.
✔ Treated with full clinical sensitivity and confidentiality.
✔ Most Same day or by 9AM next morning. From £47.
✔ Full refund if we can't issue one.
GET MY SICK NOTE 
Accepted by most UK employers, universities and insurers, subject to their own policies. All consultations are subject to clinical assessment and certificates are issued only where clinically appropriate.
Need longer-term support documentation? See also our mental health support letter.
Get your medical certificate delivered straight to your inbox from £37
How It Works
Complete short online consult
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.
✔ Full refund if a certificate cannot be issued.
Receive your certificate
Most certificates are issued same day, almost all by 9AM the next morning. Delivered as a signed PDF. A doctor will email you if more evidence is needed.
Certificate security
Every MedicalCert certificate can be checked as genuine
Each certificate is issued with anti-tampering protection and its own verification reference. If your employer, university, airline or insurer wants to confirm the document came from a GMC-registered doctor, they can check it against MedicalCert records. Altered or copied documents do not pass that check.
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Sick Note for Bereavement: Can You Get One?
Yes, you can get a sick note for bereavement in the UK. Grief that causes genuine medical incapacity, such as inability to sleep, concentrate, or function at work, can be certified by a GMC-registered doctor. The certificate uses clinical wording like "distress due to bereavement" or "acute stress reaction" rather than listing bereavement itself as a diagnosis, because bereavement on its own is not a medical condition under UK fit note guidance. Both NHS GPs and private doctors can issue bereavement sick notes, though many NHS practices decline these requests.
Losing someone close to you can make it genuinely impossible to work. If your employer's compassionate leave has run out, or if your grief has become severe enough to affect your health, a sick note certifies your incapacity on medical grounds.
Yes, you can get a sick note for bereavement
MedicalCert issues bereavement sick notes through GMC-registered UK doctors, same day, with no appointment. There is no waiting room, no commute, and no need to explain yourself face to face at a time when that is the last thing you need.
The doctor assesses your current functional state and, where appropriate, certifies your absence. You do not need to be formally diagnosed with depression or anxiety. Full refund if a certificate cannot be issued on clinical grounds.
Can You Get a Sick Note for Bereavement from the NHS?
Sometimes, but often not easily. NHS GPs do not automatically issue sick notes for bereavement, for two reasons.
First, bereavement on its own is not a medical diagnosis. Government guidance for healthcare professionals is that a fit note should record the medical condition affecting fitness for work, so "bereavement" alone is not appropriate as the stated condition. What can be recorded is the medical impact, such as "distress due to bereavement," "acute stress reaction," or "depression," where the doctor assesses that grief has caused genuine medical incapacity.
Second, NHS GPs are under significant appointment pressure. Many GP practices take the view that time off immediately after a death is an HR matter rather than a medical one, and will decline to issue a note. You may be told to request compassionate leave from your employer instead.
| Feature | NHS GP | MedicalCert (private) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free (if they agree to issue) | Paid, full refund if not issued |
| Availability | Many practices decline bereavement requests | Available same day, fully online |
| Appointment wait | Often several days | No appointment needed |
| Assessment basis | Medical impact of grief | Medical impact of grief |
| Doctor credentials | GMC-registered | GMC-registered |
| Document type | NHS Med3 Fit Note | Private medical certificate |
| Used for employer absence records and SSP | Yes | Widely accepted, subject to your employer's absence policy |
NHS GP
- ✔ Free if they agree
- ✘ Many practices decline bereavement notes
- ✘ Appointment required, often days away
- ✘ May tell you to request compassionate leave instead
- ✘ Attending a surgery when bereaved is distressing
MedicalCert private doctor
- ✔ Same day, no appointment, fully online
- ✔ GMC-registered doctor, clinically valid certificate
- ✔ Assessed on medical impact, not just bereavement label
- ✔ Full refund if a certificate cannot be issued
- ✔ Complete from home, without explaining yourself in person
What Does a Bereavement Sick Note Actually Say?
Because bereavement on its own is not recorded as a medical diagnosis, your certificate will use clinically accurate wording that reflects the genuine medical impact of your loss. Depending on what the doctor assesses, the wording may be:
Common clinical wording for bereavement sick notes
"Distress due to bereavement", commonly used phrasing that employers and HR teams recognise as a bereavement-related certificate.
"Bereavement reaction", similar clinical framing, used where the acute psychological response to loss is the primary impairment.
"Acute stress reaction", used where grief has caused a significant psychological shock response, particularly in cases of sudden or traumatic loss.
"Depression", used where grief has developed into a clinically significant depressive episode. This is appropriate where the impact on function is severe and sustained.
The certificate does not need to say "bereavement" for the clinical wording to convey the same meaning in a format that is both medically accurate and appropriate for employment purposes.
Bereavement Sick Note vs Compassionate Leave: When Do You Need Which?
Compassionate leave and a sick note serve different purposes. Most people need the sick note only after compassionate leave has been exhausted, or where their employer has no formal bereavement policy.
| Factor | Compassionate leave | Bereavement sick note |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Employer policy (no general statutory right) | Medical certification of unfitness for work |
| Typical duration | 3 to 5 days (varies by employer) | As long as clinically justified (SSP runs up to 28 weeks) |
| Doctor required | No | Yes, if absence runs beyond 7 calendar days |
| SSP eligibility | No (employer pay only) | Yes, from day one of sickness absence (from 6 April 2026) |
| When to use | Immediate period after a death | When medically unfit to return after leave ends |
Compassionate / bereavement leave
Granted by your employer as an HR arrangement. Typically 3 to 5 days, sometimes more. Usually paid. No doctor's certificate required. Appropriate for the immediate period after a death, registering, arranging the funeral, practical tasks.
Does not require medical evidence. Does not trigger SSP.
Bereavement sick note
Used when compassionate leave has ended but you remain medically unfit to return, or where grief has caused acute incapacity that your employer's leave policy does not cover. Requires medical certification from a GMC-registered doctor.
Sickness absence enables SSP. From 6 April 2026, SSP is payable from the first qualifying day of absence under the Employment Rights Act 2025.
If your employer has no formal compassionate leave policy, a sick note documents your incapacity on medical grounds from day one. Employers should not disregard a genuine medical certificate from a GMC-registered doctor, though what evidence they require, and when, is set by their own absence policy.
Your Bereavement Leave Rights in the UK (2026)
There is no single statutory right to bereavement leave in the UK for most bereavements. Your entitlement depends on your relationship to the person who died, the circumstances of the death, and your employer's own policy. The table below summarises what the law guarantees and what most employers offer in practice.
| Entitlement | Who qualifies | Duration | Paid? | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time off for dependants | All employees, from day one | Reasonable time (usually 1 to 2 days) | Unpaid (statutory). Some employers pay. | Employment Rights Act 1996, s.57A |
| Parental bereavement leave (Jack's Law) | Parents of a child who dies under 18, or stillbirth after 24 weeks | 2 weeks (can be taken as two separate 1-week blocks, within 56 weeks of the death) | Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay: £194.32/week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower (2026/27). Pay requires 26 weeks' service; the leave itself is a day-one right. | Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018 |
| Bereaved partner's paternity leave | Fathers/partners where the child's mother or primary carer dies within the child's first year | Up to 52 weeks, taken within the child's first year. Day-one right. | No statutory pay attaches to this leave. Some employers may pay. | Paternity Leave (Bereavement) Act 2024, via ss.80A-80B Employment Rights Act 1996. Detail in SI 2026/237, in force 6 April 2026. |
| Compassionate / bereavement leave | Varies by employer policy | Typically 3 to 5 days. No statutory minimum. | Usually paid. At employer discretion. | No statutory basis for most bereavements. Employer policy only. |
| Bereavement sick leave (with sick note) | Any employee medically unfit to work due to grief | As long as clinically justified (SSP runs up to 28 weeks) | SSP: £123.25/week or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower (2026/27). Payable from day one from 6 April 2026. | Statutory Sick Pay regulations, as amended by the Employment Rights Act 2025 |
For most bereavements in the UK, there is no statutory right to paid leave beyond time off for dependants, which is unpaid and covers only the immediate practical arrangements. Compassionate leave is an employer benefit, not a legal entitlement. This is why bereavement sick leave, certified by a doctor, is often the main route to extended, paid time off when grief makes you medically unfit to work.
The government has also legislated for a wider statutory bereavement leave right, expected to provide one week of unpaid leave following the death of a loved one, including pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. At the time of writing, no commencement date has been confirmed and current entitlement is unchanged. Until it comes into force, bereavement sick leave with SSP remains the primary route to extended paid absence for grief.
Sources: ACAS, Time off for bereavement · GOV.UK, Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave · SI 2026/237, Bereaved Partner's Paternity Leave Regulations
What Your Bereavement Sick Note Includes
Certificate contents
- ✔ Your full name, date of birth, and contact details
- ✔ Clinical wording confirming incapacity, such as "distress due to bereavement," "bereavement reaction," or similar
- ✔ Certified period of absence with start and end date
- ✔ An assessment that you are not fit for work, or that you may be fit for work with adjustments where appropriate
- ✔ GMC registration number of the signing doctor
- ✔ Unique QR code for employer verification
How to Get a Bereavement Sick Note Online
The process is entirely online. You do not need to explain yourself in person or attend a surgery. When you are grieving, that matters.
Complete a short online consultation
Describe how your bereavement is affecting you, your sleep, your ability to function, your capacity to attend work. You do not need clinical language. Be honest about how you are, and the doctor will assess the medical impact from your account. You can upload supporting information if you have it, though for bereavement this is often not required.
A GMC-registered doctor reviews your case
One of our experienced GPs reviews your submission the same day and assesses whether your grief has caused genuine medical incapacity warranting a sick note. If a certificate cannot be clinically supported, you receive a full refund.
Certificate delivered to your inbox
Your signed certificate arrives same day (submit before 9pm) or by 9am the following morning. Forward it directly to your employer or HR. The clinical wording is standard, so your employer or HR team will recognise what it means.
Bereavement Sick Note FAQs
Sources and further reading
- 🔗 GOV.UK, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): eligibility, rates, and day-one payment from April 2026
- 🔗 GOV.UK, Taking sick leave: self-certification rules and fit note requirements
- 🔗 ACAS, Time off for bereavement: employer obligations and best practice guidance
- 🔗 Employment Rights Act 1996. Unfair dismissal protection and time off for dependants
- 🔗 Equality Act 2010. Disability discrimination protection where grief results in a qualifying condition
- 🔗 Employment Rights Act 2025. SSP from day one, with the Lower Earnings Limit removed
- 🔗 General Medical Council (GMC). All MedicalCert doctors are registered with the GMC and bound by Good Medical Practice standards
