Services which are outside the NHS contract
The National Health Service provides most health care to the majority of people free of charge, but there are exceptions. GPs are self-employed and are contracted to provide NHS general medical services for their patients.
Sometimes, GPs are asked to provide additional services which fall outside their contract and in these circumstances, they are entitled to make a reasonable charge for providing them. Common non-NHS services include:
- Medical examination for third parties
- Certificates to support a claim for sickness, accident, or holiday cancellation insurance benefit
- Certificates to support a claim for benefit from private health insurance companies (such as BUPA & PPP)
- Certificates of fitness (to travel, or for employment, or to attend training courses, or for work or voluntary service abroad, etc)
- Certificates and examinations for sporting organisations (health clubs, governing bodies of sports such as scuba diving, motor racing etc)
- Certificates and examination required for driving (such as HGV and PSV)
- Letters (e.g. for schools, colleges, universities, employers, lawyers, courts, local authorities etc)
The charge for Non-NHS services reflects both the time involved and our liability for accuracy of the information we supply. Those requiring Non-NHS services should enquire at reception regarding current fees to our patients if not listed below. Passport forms will not be countersigned by any GP.
A guide to our current fees are as follows (although are subject to change without notice) and are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales. If a request is more complex, the appropriate fee will be agreed prior to any work being carried out. We are a cashless practice and accept chip and pin payments from all major card providers, or can send a payment link via email.
Certificates
| Letters (standard) | £35 |
| Medical certificate | £35 |
| Child minding certificate | £35 |
Travel
| Holiday cancellation form | £45 |
| Camp America form (paperwork only) | £35 |
| Camp America form (appointment with doctor) | £85 |
DVLA
| HGV (heavy goods vehicle) medical | £140 |
| PSV (taxi driver) medical | £140 |
Examination and report
| Adoption or fostering (report only) | £60 |
| Adoption or fostering (examination) | £170 |
| Fire arms certificate / gun licence | £140 |
| Power of attorney (appointment with doctor) | £140 |
Your questions answered
Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?
The National Health Service provides most healthcare to the majority people free of charge, but there are exceptions: for example, medical reports for insurance companies.
Surely the doctor is being paid anyway?
It is important to understand that GPs are not employed by the NHS, they are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS covers these costs for NHS work, but for non-NHS work the fee has to cover the doctor’s costs.
In recent years, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work. Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked to do non-medical work is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to be sure that information provided is true and accurate.
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:
- accident/sickness insurance certificates
- private medical insurance reports
- statements of fact relating to general health e.g. for children’s dance classes
- Letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient
- Holiday cancellation claim forms
- Referral for private care forms
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:
- medical reports for an insurance company
- some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency
- examinations of occupational health
Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?
Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients. Most GPs have a very heavy workload – the majority work up to 70 hours a week – and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time, so many GPs find they have to take some paperwork home at night and weekends.
I only need the doctor’s signature – what is the problem?
When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council or even the Police.
What can I do to help?
- If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once.
- If a form requires input from an Optician etc., get that completed first prior to passing paperwork onto the doctor.
- Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight