Non NHS Private Fees

 

Learn more about private services fees

Before you request private work

The fees listed below apply to services provided by a GP that are not covered by the NHS. Certain services fall outside our NHS contract and therefore incur charges. Our fees are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales.

We do not provide the following services:

  • Passport or photo card licence applications
  • We do not offer opinions. For example, suitability for work activities/responsibilities, fitness to fly, fitness for sports etc.
  • Proof of identity or address
  • Power of Attorney (LPA documentation)

Private work is at the GP’s discretion.

Where we are unable to provide a private letter or form, patients are encouraged to share their NHS App access with a private service to enable them to gain what they need. E.g. private GP, employer or private occupational health provider.

There are some reports which must be requested by the organisation directly For example, we do not accept requests for PIP or ESA from a patient.

Please note all requests which do not require an examination are expected to be completed within 1 calendar month. Fees must be paid in advance and refunds will not be given if the work has already been completed. Private work is at the GP’s discretion. The Practice will contact you when the request is ready to collect.

We will not accept requests for ‘the doctor must write these exact words’. The GP will write what they know, supported by your medical record. The letter they produce is final, and you cannot request changes to be made. The GP has the right to refuse your request or provide alternative wording if they feel it is necessary.

If you insist on the GP changing your letter to suit what you think it should say, or if you want to dictate the contents, we may withdraw our offer to write the letter or allocate a further charge.

Please remember, the doctor is not obliged to write a letter for you at all, as this is not an NHS requirement.

Make a private service request

Private fees

  • Additional Medical Report/Information: £55.00
  • Adoption Medical/Forms: £110.00
  • Detailed Written Report -no examination: £120.00
  • DNA Test via Cellmark only: As per Cellmark proforma
  • Gun Licence –on BMA template only: £100.00
  • Insurance Claim Forms (from patients): £70.00
  • Immunisation Certificates: £65.00
  • MARs(medical attendant reports): £110.00
  • Medical Examinations (for Regular Registered Patients only) including Taxi/HGV/Insurance: £110.00
  • Miscellaneous Letters (school, holiday cancelation etc): £65.00
  • Proforma report -no examination: £55.00
  • Private Blood Test (to be tested at Nuffield): No charge for taking bloods here but patient to take to Nuffield
  • Private Consultation with GP: £150.00
  • Private Consultation with Nurse: £100.00
  • Private Prescription: £50.00
  • Private Sick Note: £50.00
  • Private Visit by GP: £300.00
  • Statement of Health (no examination): £70.00

Why do GPs sometimes charge fees?

Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions: prescription charges have existed since 1951, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged. Sometimes the charge is made to cover some of the cost of treatment, for example, dental fees; in other cases, it is because the service is not covered by the NHS, 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.

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients. 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 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.

Can you give examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients:

  • accident/sickness insurance certificates
  • certain travel vaccinations
  • private medical insurance reports

Can you give examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions:

  • medical reports for an insurance company
  • some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency
  • examinations of local authority employees
  • DS 1500 Form (Disability Living/Attendance Allowance)

Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?

The BMA suggests fees for non-NHS work which is not covered under a GP’s NHS contract, to help GPs set their own professional fees. However, these fees are guidelines only, not recommendations, and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates suggested.

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 will I be charged?

The BMA recommends that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and how much. It is up to the individual doctor to decide how much to charge, but the BMA produces lists of suggested fees which many doctors use. Surgeries often have lists of fees on the waiting room wall based on these suggested fees.

What can I do to help?

  • Not all documents need signature by a doctor, for example passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge.
  • If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if he or she is prepared to complete them all at once as a (job lot) at a reduced price.
  • Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight. You should expect the form(s) to take up to 4 weeks for the GP to complete and return

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