For motor accidents
The certificate of fitness is used in the NSW CTP scheme to describe the nature of the injured person's injuries, their fitness for work, and the treatment required to recover following a motor accident injury.
What is it?
The certificate of fitness is used by the insurer to make decisions about a person’s fitness for work (whether or not they are employed, unemployed, or retired).
The certificate of fitness tells the insurer:
- the person’s name and details
- the type of injuries and date of accident
- what treatment is planned
- how the injuries affect the person’s ability to do normal activities including work
- the details of the medical practitioner who completed the certificate including their provider number.
Apart from our website, the certificate of fitness is available from all insurers. Most medical centres and hospitals will also have the certificate of fitness available for you to access.
Who completes the first certificate of fitness?
The first certificate of fitness is completed by the injured person’s registered medical practitioner in consultation with the injured person. This is important so that the person’s full health needs can be assessed.
If you are the doctor
If you are the registered medical practitioner, you are responsible for completing the doctor's part of the certificate of fitness. It should provide a clear medical diagnosis using acceptable medical terminology and identify any reasonable and necessary treatment.
Other health professionals (eg a treating physiotherapist) may give information to you, however they are not allowed to complete the certificate of fitness themselves.
When you assess a person's injuries and choose a treatment plan, you need to estimate how long before the person can return to normal activities or when they should be assessed again.
You should not issue a certificate of fitness that exceeds a 28-day period without providing special reasons why. See section 3.15(4)(a) of the Motor Accidents Injuries Act 2017 for more information.
For injuries that resolve quickly, it may mean that only one assessment is required. However for more serious injuries you may need to complete multiple certificates over the time it takes the person to recover.
If you are the injured person
If you are the injured person, you are responsible for sending the initial certificate of fitness and your CTP claim form(s) to the insurer. You are also responsible for providing up-to-date certificates of fitness throughout your recovery.
Weekly benefits may be suspended if a valid certificate of fitness is not received by the insurer. See section 3.15(6) for more information.
Second and subsequent certificates of fitness
A treating medical practitioner must issue the initial certificate of fitness to an injured person. Thereafter, a treating physiotherapist or treating psychologist can issue second and subsequent certificates of fitness.
A physiotherapist or psychologist issuing a certificate of fitness must have general registration under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) No 86a.
A physiotherapist or psychologist should not issue a certificate of fitness if an injured person is receiving treatment for different types of injuries (i.e. physical and psychological injury). In these circumstances a second or subsequent certificate of fitness should be issued by a medical practitioner.
If a subsequent certificate covers a period that overlaps with a period covered by an earlier certificate, then the later certificate prevails for the whole of the period covered by the later certificate.
With the injured person's consent, an insurer will send a copy of the certificate to their medical practitioner to facilitate communication.
We have developed two training videos to guide treating physiotherapists and treating psychologists on assessing a person's fitness to work.
Further information
Disputes
Sometimes there can be disputes about compensation. If there's a dispute, there's help available. Our motor accidents injury disputes section has more information.
Completing the Certificate of Currency
The Information for medical practitioners completing the certificate of capacity provides advice on completing the certificate of capacity.