Guide
Is a Medical Certificate Required for One-Day Sick Leave?
9 Oct 2026
WORKCOVER
WorkCover Certificate WA: First, Progress and Final Certificates of Capacity
Hurt on the job in WA, or stuck on a remote roster? Book a telehealth assessment for your WorkCover certificate WA, completed if clinically appropriate.
- Real-time consult with an AHPRA-registered GP
- First, Progress and Final certificates explained
- Your WA form completed if clinically appropriate
- Phone consults for FIFO and remote workers
- Same-day issuance if approved
From $13.99 · Transparent pricing · Australia-wide service
From $13.99
- One-off payment
- Full refund if declined
- Same-day delivery if approved
AHPRA-registered GPs
Same-day delivery if approved
Secure and confidential
Full refund if declined
For WorkCover WA claims
WA certificate sequence
The Three WA Certificates and What Each One Does
WA uses a certificate sequence
WorkCover WA regulates the state's workers compensation scheme. A claim can move through First, Progress and Final Certificates of Capacity rather than relying on one document for the whole recovery period.
This page covers the Western Australian version of the WorkCover certificate of capacity.
The current approved forms are CC1, CC2 and CC3 under the Workers Compensation and Injury Management Act 2023. The present versions took effect from 1 July 2024.
CC1
First Certificate
Starts the medical evidence for the claim and records the injury, capacity for work, restrictions and initial injury management plan.
CC2
Progress Certificate
Updates recovery, treatment, work capacity and the next stage of the return-to-work plan.
CC3
Final Certificate
Usually closes regular certification when the worker is fully recovered or when the condition is unlikely to materially change over the next 12 months.
Why CC1 matters
The First Certificate sets the clinical starting point
The First Certificate records the worker's account of the injury, the GP's assessment and how the injury affects work. Later certificates are interpreted against that starting point, so accurate dates and job details matter.
Date of injury
WorkCover WA says this is usually the date of the incident. For a gradual-onset disease, it is the date the worker first reported symptoms.
Who completes what
You provide the event details. The GP provides the clinical judgement.
Worker sections
Personal and employment details, date of injury, what happened, symptoms and the consent authority.
GP sections
Assessment findings, diagnosis, work capacity, injury management plan, review date, practitioner details and signature.
The consent authority allows relevant discussion of the compensable condition with the employer, insurer and other treating professionals for the claim and return-to-work process.
Capacity through recovery
What the GP Records About Your Capacity and How It Changes
Three broad capacity outcomes
Full capacity
The worker can perform their work without incapacity, although treatment may still continue.
Some capacity
The GP can record modified duties, workplace modifications, modified hours and functional limits.
No capacity
Where the worker cannot safely perform any work for the clinically supported period, the GP records the clinical reason.
Partial capacity needs practical detail
WorkCover WA's form lets the GP describe what the worker can safely do, including lifting, sitting, standing, walking and working below shoulder height. Hours and duties can be adjusted as well.
Functional limits
For example, lifting limits, time standing or repetitive movement restrictions.
Modified work
Alternative duties, workplace changes or reduced hours can be documented.
Review planning
Treatment and return-to-work activities can be linked to measurable goals and a review date.
Say a worker has hurt a shoulder moving stock. Recording some capacity, a lifting restriction and a review date gives the employer practical information for a return-to-work program.
First review
Normally within 14 days
The First Certificate's next review date should normally not exceed 14 days. If a longer interval is clinically appropriate, the GP records the reason.
Progress Certificate
Updates the recovery picture
CC2 records progress since the previous review, ongoing treatment and current work capacity. Workers must provide each Progress Certificate to the employer and insurer within seven days unless it is supplied directly.
Final Certificate
Does not always mean full fitness
CC3 can show full capacity, but the current form also allows ongoing partial capacity and functional limits where the worker's condition is unlikely to change substantially in the next 12 months.
How to Get Started
We operate as a platform that connects you with trusted Australian medical practices in three simple steps:
1
Book Your Certificate
Select the WorkCover capacity certificate on the OMC Health booking page, and tell us a bit about your situation.
2
Consult with an AHPRA-Registered GP
Given the functional capacity assessment involved, the GP may commonly proceed by phone for straightforward reviews.
3
Receive Your Certificate If Approved
If the GP determines it's clinically appropriate, your certificate is digitally issued and emailed the same day.
Ready to get started?
Book a real-time consultation with an AHPRA-registered GP. From $13.99.
Claim administration
Getting the Certificate to the Insurer and Knowing Who Manages the Claim
From worker to employer to insurer
1
Worker
Give the completed claim form and First Certificate of Capacity to your employer and keep copies.
2
Employer
The employer has seven days to forward the claim documents to its insurer.
3
Insurer
The insurer must issue an accepted, not accepted or deferred liability notice within 14 days after receiving the claim.
A worker generally has 12 months after the injury occurs to make a compensation claim. See WorkCover WA's current claim process.
Which insurer sits behind your employer?
Most employers hold workers compensation insurance with a licensed insurer. Some employers are licensed self-insurers and manage the compensation of their own workers. The Insurance Commission of WA provides workers compensation insurance for relevant public authorities.
Licensed insurer
The insurer assesses the claim and manages the employer's insured liability.
Self-insurer
A licensed employer manages its own employees' workers compensation claims.
Ask your employer who manages the claim so you know where Progress Certificates and other documents need to go. WorkCover WA publishes current lists of licensed insurers and self-insurers.
Your treating doctor
You can choose your own treating medical practitioner
WA law gives an injured worker the right to choose their treating medical practitioner. An employer or insurer cannot require you to use their preferred doctor for your ongoing treatment.
The insurer or self-insurer can separately arrange a medical review with a practitioner it nominates, subject to the statutory limits on those examinations.
Privacy during examination and return-to-work discussions
During examination
Employers, insurers and their agents are prohibited from being present while you are being physically or clinically examined.
Return-to-work discussions
Your treating practitioner may discuss relevant return-to-work options or restrictions where the required permissions apply.
Remote assessment in WA
How Telehealth Fits a WA WorkCover Claim, Including FIFO and Remote Work
A remote assessment still has to answer the capacity question
An OMC Health WorkCover consultation starts by phone, with the GP deciding whether video is clinically necessary. The doctor focuses on your injury, usual work and what you can safely do. If remote assessment is not sufficient, another form of care may be recommended.
Incident details
Have the date, location and a clear account of how the injury happened.
Your actual job
Describe lifting, driving, repetitive tasks, shifts and any safety-sensitive duties.
Existing information
Have relevant treatment notes, imaging or physiotherapy information available where useful.
Complete your own parts before booking and attach the WA certificate form so the practitioner sections are ready for review.
Some injuries need a physical examination, imaging or hands-on testing. The GP decides whether the WorkCover assessment can be completed safely through telehealth.
FIFO and regional WA
Distance changes access, not the clinical standard
FIFO and remote workers may be hundreds of kilometres from their usual GP. Telehealth can help with access where the injury can be assessed remotely and the practitioner considers it clinically appropriate.
Regional exception
WorkCover WA guidance says that in regional or remote areas, or after hospital admission, a medical practitioner who provided the initial treatment can issue a certificate even if they will not be the ongoing treating practitioner.
Plan around the roster
Check review dates before flying to site and know how your employer or insurer wants updated Progress Certificates delivered while you are away.
Longer claims
For continuity over a longer recovery, an ongoing treating practitioner who knows the injury and return-to-work plan can be useful.
PRICING
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If the claim is disputed
When You Disagree With a Claim or Capacity Decision
1
Try to resolve it directly
WorkCover WA advises making reasonable attempts to resolve the issue with the other party before lodging a formal conciliation application. Keep notes of dates, names and responses, and ask for important answers in writing where possible.
A certificate does not decide liability
A Certificate of Capacity records medical capacity. The insurer or self-insurer decides whether liability for the claim is accepted.
WorkCover WA generally expects reasonable attempts to resolve the dispute before conciliation. Read the current dispute process.
Call 000 in an emergency. OMC Health does not provide emergency care.
General information only, not a substitute for personalised advice; speak with a qualified practitioner.
2
Conciliation
An independent WorkCover WA conciliator helps the parties try to resolve the dispute. The conciliator does not make the final decision for them.
3
Arbitration
If issues remain after conciliation, arbitration may follow. A legally qualified arbitrator hears the matter and can make a binding determination.
WorkCover WA Advice and Assistance
1300 794 744, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Related guidance
WA WorkCover and return-to-work information
Return to work certificateHow fitness, restrictions and return-to-work evidence fit together.Online medical certificates in Western AustraliaWA-specific access and service information.Work capacity certificate SACompare the South Australian certificate process.Who can issue a WorkCover certificateSee how practitioner requirements differ by certificate and jurisdiction.
Issued through our partner practice network
Your consultation is conducted by an AHPRA-registered GP from one of 20+ partner practices across Australia. The certificate is issued under that GP's own registration.
Frequently asked questions
View all FAQsIt depends on your insurer and the details of your claim. Before you book, ask your employer or their insurer whether they accept a telehealth assessment for your injury. If it is, the GP still decides whether a phone or video consult is enough. They'll tell you if an in-person examination is needed instead.
Usually, yes. A certificate reflects your capacity on the day of the consult. If you recover faster or slower than expected, a Progress certificate gives your employer and insurer the updated picture. Book the next consult before your current certificate runs out, so there's no gap in your evidence.
Ask your employer which insurer they use and when they forwarded your paperwork. Then contact the insurer to confirm they received it. Keeping your own copies, dated when you handed them over, makes this much easier. It also helps if a document goes missing between offices.
No. A WA certificate of capacity belongs to a workers' compensation claim and follows WorkCover WA's First, Progress and Final sequence. A return to work certificate is a separate document some employers ask for after other absences. If your injury happened at work, use the WorkCover form your employer or insurer provides.
Tell the GP during the consult if something doesn't match what you can actually do. The GP records what the assessment supports, which may differ from what you expected. If your condition changes after the consult, book a review. Your employer and insurer should work from the most recent certificate.
Western Australia uses three certificates of capacity. The First certificate records the injury, your fitness for work and any restrictions. Progress certificates keep your employer and insurer updated. A Final certificate is issued when you're fully fit and no longer need treatment.