Almost all workplaces I have worked in insisted on having a sick certificate even for a single day. Several times I was asked to come to work for a few hours even when quite visibly ill.
Wow, that's terrible. That would be nearly impossible for me to produce, because GPs around me are sometimes booked out a week in advance.
Gp visit is free. Often need doctor cert for work to take more than a day or two off.
This hasn't been the case for most GP's for a while now. Bulk billing is becoming quite rare if you're not a pensioner.