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. No appointment needed.
✔ Depression, low mood, major depressive disorder and related conditions all covered.
✔ Treated with full clinical sensitivity and confidentiality.
✔ Most Same day or by 9AM next morning. From £47.
✔ Full refund if the GP cannot issue.
GET MY SICK NOTE 
Dr Maria Knobel Medical Director 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.
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 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 work 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, most approved 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, your legal rights, and what the certificate contains — see our mental health sick note guide. This page covers what is specific to depression.
GMC-registered doctors | Most approved same day | Full refund if we cannot issue
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 when assessing your case:
Sustained depressive mood making it impossible to engage with work tasks, colleagues, or professional responsibilities.
Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, slow thinking, or inability to make decisions — particularly debilitating in roles requiring sustained focus or judgement.
Severe insomnia or hypersomnia, and persistent exhaustion that makes attendance or safe performance of work duties impossible.
Depression severe enough to prevent leaving the house, commuting, or functioning in a social or workplace environment.
Complete loss of interest in work and daily activities — inability to initiate or complete tasks that were previously manageable.
Headaches, appetite changes, psychomotor agitation or slowing, and physical exhaustion directly caused by depression.
How Long Can You Be Signed Off Work with Depression?
There is no legal maximum period. Duration is determined by clinical assessment — the severity of your symptoms, their functional impact, and your recovery progress. The table below gives a general guide; your doctor will advise based on your individual presentation.
| Severity | Typical time off work | What the doctor considers |
|---|---|---|
| Mild depression | 1 to 4 weeks | Low mood and fatigue present but some capacity for limited duties. Return may be possible with adjustments — reduced hours or working from home. |
| Moderate depression | 4 to 12 weeks | Significant cognitive impairment, sleep disruption, and withdrawal. Full duties are not possible. Phased return likely on recovery. |
| Severe depression | 3 to 6 months or longer | Inability to leave home, self-care difficulties, or active safety concerns. Ongoing SSP and regular clinical review. May trigger Equality Act disability protections. |
| Recurrent depression | Varies — ongoing certification | Pattern of episodic absence with recovery between episodes. Each episode assessed individually. Reasonable adjustments on return to reduce relapse risk. |
Statutory Sick Pay is available for up to 28 weeks of certified absence. Each MedicalCert sick note covers up to 14 days, with follow-up notes issued as needed throughout your recovery.
Sick Pay for Depression — Current SSP Rules
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 entitlement (from April 2026)
Day-one payment. SSP is payable from your first day of absence. The previous three waiting days have been abolished.
Lower earnings limit removed. All employees qualify for SSP regardless of how much they earn — including part-time and zero-hours contract workers who previously did not qualify.
Current rate. £123.25 per week, or 80% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower — for up to 28 weeks of certified absence.
Enhanced company sick pay. Your employer may offer contractual sick pay above the SSP minimum. Check your employment contract or staff handbook. SSP is the legal floor, not the ceiling.
For the most current SSP eligibility rules, see GOV.UK Statutory Sick Pay.
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. Many people have legal disability protections without ever having formally declared this.
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 where depression is the reason for absence. 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. ACAS guidance confirms employers must use a sensitive and proportionate approach when the reason for absence is mental health.
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.
Depression Sick Note FAQs
Most approved same day | Full refund if we cannot issue
Legislation and Guidance Referenced
The legal and employment information on this page is drawn from the following authoritative UK sources:
📚 Referenced sources
- 📊 HSE — Work-related stress, depression and anxiety statistics: 22.1 million days lost in 2024/25. hse.gov.uk/statistics
- ⚖️ Equality Act 2010 — GOV.UK: mental health as a protected characteristic; disability definition; employer duty to make reasonable adjustments. gov.uk/equality-act-2010-guidance
- 💰 Statutory Sick Pay — GOV.UK: current rate £123.25/week, payable from day one of absence following the April 2026 reform. gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay
- 💼 ACAS — mental health and absence: guidance on employer obligations, sensitive management of mental health absence, and return-to-work processes. acas.org.uk/supporting-mental-health-workplace
- 📋 Fit notes — GOV.UK: employer obligation to accept fit notes from any registered healthcare professional. gov.uk/government/collections/fit-note
- 🩺 General Medical Council (GMC): registers and regulates all doctors practising in the UK. All MedicalCert reviewing GPs hold active GMC registration. gmc-uk.org