Need to check the validity of a sick note

[Pringlemunchers]

A member of staff has given in a sick note and I have a feeling that it may no be legit. A couple of things do not seem quite right. There is not a date ( when the actual cert was written), hospital bar code missing ( others I have seen have that at the bottom) and couple of other little things.

Do any wise people know how I could check the validity? I am sure the hospital will not give any patient info and I cannot read the doctors signature?

I'm in hospital for 2 sometimes 3 appointments a week at the moment, all I've got to show my manager are the screenshots of the texts I get confirming them. This isn't very helpful for you but I think it's really variable between wards/clinics.

Does it have the doctors/practice stamp on it?

Thank you Woollyminded. The certificate is for eight weeks from a hospital.

Handwritten ones may not have the bar code.

The hospital should be able to confirm that it was issued by them and the date/duration, I think.

You can buy them online quite cheaply. Does it look similar to the ones you can buy?

Also, if it's handwritten it should be stamped by the hospital.

The ones I have had from crisis team and hospital were all hand written. Department was on them, and the name of the person who issued them. They look really different to the printed gp ones.
Some are double page A4 size, others are single page A5.

Some were stamped, some handwritten department and contact details.
Hope my place don't think they are BS.

Why would anyone fake 8 weeks though? Surely that would spark and sickness management meeting.