Stay in regular, supportive contact and get a proper medical view, usually through an occupational health referral, before making any decisions. Use it to understand the prognosis and whether a return is realistic, and consider adjustments, phased returns or a change of duties.
Only if there is genuinely no reasonable prospect of a sustainable return should you consider a capability process. Throughout, treat the absence as potentially covered by disability law until a medical opinion tells you otherwise.
Every situation has its own details, and those details change the right answer. For a read on yours, take the free Employee Situation Check or book a call.
General guidance to help you decide your next step, not legal advice. Employment law changes, so always check the current position for your own situation.