ok people,i am not used to taking time off sick so dont know the score,i dont get sick pay through work and by the time i feel well enough to go back to work i will have been off 3 days,.
do i go to the doc and get a cert or how does it work,my manager is never there and always too busy to help in mundane things like this.

Mornin' For the first week of illness you're supposed to self-certificate via a SC2 form which is available online. After a week you can get a certificate from the doc (now called a "Fit Note" rather than a sick note). Before then if your employer says they need a sick note from the GP (which officially they shouldn't do) the GP will likely charge you for it (usually 15-20 quid) because there's no statutory requirement for a cert before then and employers should accept the SC2. I'd speak to your employer- if they do want a private sick note it's worth seeing if they'll agree to pay for it.

Anyway, hope you get well soon.

cheers ben