What is a Medical Certificate?

A medical certificate or doctor's certificate is a written statement from a physician or another medically qualified health care provider which attests to the result of a medical examination of a patient. It can serve as a "sick note" (documentation that an employee is unfit for work) or evidence of a health condition.

What should be included in a medical certificate?

The medical certificate should have all of the following:

• name and address of the practitioner issuing the certificate
• name of the patient
• date the examination took place
• degree of incapacity of the patient
• date the medical practitioner considers the patient is likely to be able to return to work
• be addressed to the party requiring the certificate as evidence of illness, for example, an employer, insurer or magistrate
• date the certificate was written and signed.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_certificate, https://www.mcnsw.org.au/medical-certificates-what-you-should-know