DAPB4011: eMED3 (fit notes) in Secondary Care

The Statement of Fitness for Work was introduced in April 2010 across England, Wales and Scotland. In 2012 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) enabled General Practices to produce computer-generated fit notes (eMED3). This new standard builds on this work and legislation changes that came into force in July 2022 allowing fit notes to be issued electronically by a range of healthcare professionals in secondary care and changes to the Social Security (Medical Evidence) and Statutory Sick Pay (Medical Evidence) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 which means that there will no longer be a requirement to sign the eMED3 form in ink. The fit notes will be digitally certified replacing the current wet signature.

Informing primary care that a fit note has been issued in secondary care is not in scope of this standard but may be introduced in a future release.

This information standard is published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. An Information Standards Notice (see below) provides an overview of scope and implementation timescales, and the requirements specification provides further detail for those who have to implement the information standard.