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. All by 9AM next morning. From £47.
✔ Full refund if we can't issue one.
GET MY SICK NOTE 
Dr Maria Knobel Medical Director 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 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.
Very happy, I ordered my Medical Certificate in the early morning hours and before noon time of same day I had it on my inbox. Speedy service and they present the health condition precisely, get to the point.
They meet the incredibly fast turnaround stated (certificate/letter sent before 9am the following morning if the doctor feels that a letter/certificate is appropriate) which is incredibly quick and I am really grateful for the help provided!
Very easy and quick to get my certificate. And the certificate was approved from the specific company to travel with my dog. I will use them again. Well done.
Second time using this company and they are fabulous! Always great, fast, friendly service. Highly recommend!
This was my second time using Medical Cert, and once again the service was exceptionally quick and professional. Everything was handled efficiently, with clear communication throughout.
I found the service very straight forward and quick. Exactly what I needed to get my Padi medical form signed before our holiday. Thank you very much.
Process was easy and responses were quick. I would recommend their service.
Fast efficient service for medical certificates. I used the not fit to fly service and was provided with a certificate the next day, the price is very reasonable and enabled a flight credit refund with my airline. Would recommend and would use again if needed.
A fast and efficient service. It wasn't complicated and the Fit-to-fly note was accepted by the Airport without any further questions. Thank you.
Ideal for me, I am looking to get a certificate for some medical issues I have. So this is the perfect solution for me, uploading docs was easy and the forms very straightforward to fill in. Will definitely use them again. Many thanks.
Excellent service. Easy to use and certificate issued in less than 24 hours. £39 as opposed to the £150 my GP charges. Highly recommended.
Quick and reasonably pain-free. Received their standard certificate as well as my requested bespoke certificate, by email, by 9am the following morning. Both completed properly, signed and stamped as required. More expensive than my GP, but infinitely quicker and easier.
One of the best experiences. It's easy to get a GP note.
Excellent. My GP refuses to issue DWP MED 3 Fit Notes to students. MedicalCert were excellent and extremely helpful in providing a necessary certificate. Highly recommended.
You were amazing, you kept me updated and replied promptly to any queries I had. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
They helped me, they were very professional and nice.
Very pleased. Quick service with very professional letter provided.
Great service, pretty straight forward and easy to use the website.
I was recommended Medical Cert by a friend and was so impressed with the service received. I would recommend using a laptop rather than a phone. Overall a fantastic and fast service.
Sick Note for Bereavement — Can You Get One?
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 — you may need a sick note. The short answer is yes, you can get one.
Yes — you can get a sick note for bereavement
Grief that causes genuine medical incapacity — inability to sleep, concentrate, function, or leave the house — can be certified by a GMC-registered doctor. You do not need to be formally diagnosed with depression or anxiety. The doctor assesses your current functional state and, where appropriate, certifies your absence.
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.
Can You Get a Sick Note for Bereavement from the NHS?
This is the question most people arrive here asking — and the honest answer is: sometimes, but often not easily. NHS GPs do not automatically issue sick notes for bereavement, for two reasons:
First, bereavement itself is not a medical diagnosis. UK government guidance to healthcare professionals explicitly states that “bereavement” cannot be written as a diagnosis on a fit note. What can be written is the medical impact — “distress due to bereavement,” “acute stress reaction,” or “depression” — if the doctor assesses that grief has crossed into genuine medical incapacity.
Second, NHS GPs are under significant appointment pressure and completing private medical certificates and sick notes sits outside their NHS contract. Many GP practices now have explicit policies stating that bereavement sick notes are an HR matter, not a medical one, and will decline to issue them. You may be told to request compassionate leave from your employer instead.
NHS GP
- ✔Free if they agree
- ✗Many practices now 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” cannot be written as a medical diagnosis on a fit note, 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” — the most commonly used phrasing. Recognised by employers and HR teams 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.
Your employer will understand the context. The certificate does not need to say “bereavement” — the clinical wording conveys the same meaning in a format that is both medically accurate and legally valid 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.
Compassionate / bereavement leave
Granted by your employer as an HR arrangement. Typically 3–5 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 enable SSP.
Bereavement sick note
Required 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 doesn’t cover. Requires medical certification from a GMC-registered doctor.
Enables SSP. From 6 April 2026, SSP is payable from day one of certified absence.
If your employer has no formal compassionate leave policy, a sick note certifies your incapacity on medical grounds from day one — your employer cannot lawfully refuse a valid certificate from a GMC-registered doctor, regardless of whether they offer compassionate leave.
What Your Bereavement Sick Note Includes
Certificate contents
- ✔Your full name, date of birth, and contact details
- ✔Clinical wording confirming incapacity — “distress due to bereavement,” “bereavement reaction,” or similar
- ✔Certified period of absence — start and end date
- ✔“Not fit for work” assessment, or “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. The doctor will assess the medical impact from your account. Upload any 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. You do not need to explain the clinical wording — your employer will understand what it means.