I got TWO sick notes for 'stress' in under two hours without ever speaking to a doctor - all I had to do was pay £25 to fill out an online form (although one firm made me take a 30-second video explaining my illness before handing over my hall-pass!)

It was disturbingly easy. 

After nan Prime Minister announced yesterday a crackdown connected sick-note civilization that has seen numbers of Britons disconnected activity owed to sick wellness balloon to 2.8million, MailOnline discovered firms trading nan charismatic documents for arsenic small arsenic £25, pinch 'no appointments necessary'. 

We put their services to nan test, and in under 2 hours I managed to acquisition 2 sick notes, rubber-stamped by aesculapian professionals, signing maine disconnected activity for a month, hardly immoderate questions asked.

All I had to do was say, vaguely, that I was stressed and needed clip off, and manus complete my in installments paper details. 

While I person nary uncertainty that galore group usage these services for perfectly morganatic reasons, our elemental investigation exposes a strategy each to easy to abuse.

A speedy Google for nan word 'buy a sick note' throws up 2 adverts for London-based companies that committedness to supply nan applicable papers.

The first, home2lab.co.uk offers, among its galore services, 'Workplace Medical Sickness Certificate/Note', aforesaid time service, a snip astatine conscionable £44, aliases £66 if you want a 'priority service'. 

I pat successful a fewer individual details, specified arsenic my name, reside and day of commencement and database my symptoms. I type successful a azygous word: 'stress'.

I salary (home2labs accepts each awesome in installments and debit cards on pinch Apple and Google Pay) and wrong moments there's an email successful my inbox requesting I upload 2 things to Dropbox: a short video of betwixt 30 seconds and 1 infinitesimal describing my 'symptoms' and a photograph ID. 

Using my telephone camera, I movie myself saying thing on nan lines of 'I deliberation I americium suffering from accent and I would for illustration to petition a sick note.' And that's it, really. 

Initially, I'd asked to beryllium signed disconnected for 3 months and get a follow-up email from nan institution (not from a doctor) saying: 'As per our policy, sick notes are initially issued for a long of 2 weeks, taxable to expert reappraisal and hold if deemed appropriate. 

'Upon reviewing your provided evidence, our aesculapian squad is contented to widen nan sick statement long to 1 month. 

'However, please statement that further reappraisal will beryllium conducted earlier nan extremity of nan first sick statement play to measure nan necessity for immoderate further extensions.'

I reply saying that 1 period would beryllium fine. Within 10 minutes I person my sick statement to download, confirming that I americium excessively unwell to activity astatine slightest until nan 19th of May. 

It claims my 'medical condition' is 'stress-related symptoms'. 

Under nan subheading 'treatment plan' it states: 'This certificate is impervious of nan patient's aesculapian condition. 

'I judge that pinch due curen and time, nan diligent should beryllium capable to resume their duties and responsibilities. 

'The diligent has been advised to activity further aesculapian support arsenic needed. Please consciousness free to interaction maine for immoderate questions aliases updates regarding nan patient's condition.'

It's signed by a GMC-registered GP. 

I would beryllium capable to usage this arsenic charismatic impervious I was excessively unwell to work.

It's moreover easier to get a sick statement from nan 2nd patient advertizing this benignant of service. Updoc.co.uk asks maine to capable retired a short questionnaire pinch akin individual details. There's a container wherever you tin capable retired symptoms. 

I opportunity I've been accent for a period and request clip off. Within astir 15 minutes, and £24.95 lighter, I person my sick statement saying my aesculapian history has been 'assessed' and that I've been 'determined unwell and unfit for work' until May 3rd. 

This 1 is signed by a pharmacist.   

A fresh note, arsenic nan NHS now calls them, must beryllium issued by a healthcare professional, but this could beryllium a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physiotherapist aliases occupational therapist. 

The full process took little than 2 hours.  

I suppose if I was unwell, I would person appreciated nan simplicity and velocity of nan process. 

With waiting times to spot a GP spiralling, if I was genuinely successful a intelligence wellness situation a work for illustration this would person been a lifeline. 

But without due checks and balances, location will undoubtedly besides beryllium those who return advantage of specified a lax system. 

Both home2labs and Updoc were approached for comment.