Sick Note for Flu
Get documented for flu or viral illness, accepted by UK employers. Issued by a UK GP without leaving home.
When you have flu, the last thing you need is a GP waiting room. Get a signed sick note most same day, all by 9AM next morning. No appointment needed.
✔ Covers flu, viral illness, respiratory infections and related symptoms.
✔ Accepted by UK employers for work absence documentation.
✔ Most same day. All by 9AM next morning. From £47.
✔ Full refund if we can't issue one.
GET MY SICK NOTE 
Ready to return? You may also need a fit to work certificate before your employer allows you back.
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 Flu — Can You Get One?
Flu — proper influenza, not just a cold — can leave you completely unable to work for a week or more. If you are off for more than seven days, your employer will ask for a sick note. Yes, you can get one for flu, and yes, you can get it online without leaving the house.
Yes — flu is a valid medical reason for a sick note
Influenza is a clinically recognised illness. A GMC-registered doctor can certify a flu-related absence on a fit note in exactly the same way as any other illness. There is nothing unusual about requesting a sick note for flu — it is one of the most common reasons for extended workplace absence in the UK each winter.
MedicalCert issues flu sick notes same day, online, through GMC-registered UK doctors. No appointment, no waiting room, no need to leave the house when you are unwell.
When Do You Need a Sick Note for Flu?
The rules are the same for flu as for any other illness. Most employees do not need a sick note for a short flu absence — but do once it extends beyond seven calendar days.
Days 1–7 — self-certify
For the first seven calendar days of any absence, including flu, you can self-certify. Tell your employer you are unwell — no doctor’s note required. Most standard flu runs its course within this window.
Day 8 onwards — sick note required
If you are still unwell on day eight, your employer can request a fit note from a GMC-registered doctor. This is where MedicalCert comes in — you can get your flu sick note the same day, online, without a GP appointment.
Under 7 days — some employers request it anyway
Some employers have their own absence policies that require documentation for any absence, regardless of duration. If your employer has requested a sick note for a short flu absence, a private certificate from MedicalCert satisfies this requirement.
Flu vs cold — does it matter for a sick note?
From an employment and sick note perspective, no — both are valid reasons for certified absence if they make you unfit for work. Flu typically involves a sudden high temperature, aching muscles, exhaustion, headache, and a dry cough. A cold is usually milder and less debilitating. If you genuinely cannot work due to flu symptoms, a doctor can certify that incapacity regardless of whether it is clinically classified as influenza or a severe upper respiratory infection.
What Does a Flu Sick Note Include?
Certificate contents
- ✔Your full name, date of birth, and contact details
- ✔Diagnosis or clinical description — typically “influenza,” “upper respiratory tract infection,” or “viral illness”
- ✔Certified period of absence — start and end date
- ✔“Not fit for work” assessment for the certified period
- ✔GMC registration number of the signing doctor
- ✔Unique QR code for employer verification
Sick Pay for Flu — What You Are Entitled To
From 6 April 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 changed SSP significantly. The three-day waiting period has been abolished — SSP is now payable from the first day of certified absence, at £123.25 per week or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. The lower earnings limit has also been removed, meaning all employees qualify regardless of income.
Previously, employees had to be off for four consecutive days before SSP applied. For a flu absence that begins and ends within the old three-day window, SSP was not payable at all. From April 2026, even a single day of certified flu absence triggers SSP entitlement.
Your employer may also offer enhanced contractual sick pay above SSP — check your employment contract. SSP is the statutory minimum.
How to Get a Flu Sick Note Online — Same Day
When you have flu, the last thing you want is to sit in a GP waiting room or spend days trying to get an appointment. MedicalCert is fully online.
Complete the online consultation
Describe your symptoms, when they started, and how they are affecting your ability to work. For flu this typically includes high temperature, aching muscles, fatigue, headache, and respiratory symptoms. You do not need a positive test result — clinical assessment of your symptoms is sufficient.
GMC-registered doctor reviews your case
One of our GPs reviews your submission the same day and assesses whether the clinical picture supports issuing a fit note. If a certificate cannot be 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 directly to your employer or HR. The QR code allows instant verification without any follow-up call.