Non NHS Private Services

 

Clevedon Medical Centre receive a whole range of requests from patients, these requests now come to us largely through our digital service where patients can submit online Admin requests, but we also get patients' hand in a lot of forms. Lots also arrive directly from insurers.

The request is forwarded to the Secretarial team who then:

  1. Make you aware of the cost of the document/ letter you have requested.
  2. If agreed, the request is handed to the your named GP.
  3. When the paperwork has been returned from the GP, the documents are posted to you, or you're rung to collect if there is an invoice to settle.

The general expectation is that this work is turned around by the GP within 1-month, although the majority is done within 1 to 2 weeks.

Private Fees

Certificates

Request Fee
Private sick note £40
To whom it may concern letter (child) £10
To whom it may concern letter (short) £30
To whom it may concern letter (complex) £50
Firearms license application £120

Insurance Claim Forms and Reports

Request Fee
Private health insurance claim form (e.g. BUPA) £55
Sickness/Accident Insurance Certificate £55
Holiday cancellation claim form £40
OFSTED report for child-minders (client to pay) £50 to £95 depending on complexity
Typed report from medical records £40 to £90
Solicitors’ report/ opinion form £120
Report for insurance companies £110

Adoption and Fostering

Request Fee
Form AH – health assessment on a prospective carer £73.86
Form AH2 – update report on parent/carer £24.36
Initial Examination £37.99
Forms M/B – obstetric report/neo natal report £44.95
Forms IHA-C and IHA-YP £215
Forms RHA-C and RHA-YP £150

Medical Examinations

Request Fee
HGV, Taxi driver, pre-employment  £140
Elderly Driver Fitness form and examination £120
Sports Medicals including Racing Drivers, Jockey etc. £120
Medical Report with an examination in surgery    £142 £142

Travel Vaccinations

Request Fee
Meningitis per dose £65
Hep B for travellers per dose £55
Hep Course for medical school (3 x hep B, blood test, booster) £300
Hep course for 4 £250
Rabies course 3 £255
Japanese Encephalitis per dose £95
Shingles £190
Men B for children per dose £150
Nurse consultation fee for vaccines £35
Private GP Appointment £80

Other Items

Request Fee
Consultation following RTA £30
Private Blood test From £30
Private script £30
Paternity test  Cost varies depending on how many family members.  The cost is covered by Cellmark.
Letter for an airline to confirm medications and what they are for £50
Freedom from infection letter (for schools, travel, employment) £40
School Fees insurance certificates £57
Health club report to certify that a patient is fit for exercise We do not do this; we can however, provide a summary of health conditions and medication taken free of charge
Employment – report on pro forma, no examination £95
Written Report (Detailed) £110

Private Referrals

{{ Number(0) + 1 }}. Private requests for investigations

If a private doctor asks your GP to arrange tests like blood tests or scans, please remember that this is not usually part of NHS services. In most cases, we will not be able to do this.

{{ Number(1) + 1 }}. Private requests for prescriptions

GPs are sometimes asked to take over prescriptions for specialist medications under a "shared care" agreement. This is optional, and GPs do not have to agree unless they feel confident and have the capacity to do so. This means that private doctors continue to be responsible for ongoing prescriptions. Before seeing a private doctor, check that they can provide long-term prescriptions, monitoring, and reviews if needed.

Due to high demand and pressures on GP services, we are no longer in a position to take over any shared care prescribing for private providers, as this is a service that is completely unfunded. It includes all private ADHD prescribing and right-to-choose prescribing. Please continue getting your prescriptions from your private provider.

{{ Number(2) + 1 }}. Private medical administration (PMA)

Notes for school or university- absence through illness

If a university asks for a letter from a doctor to confirm illness/ reasons for absence, then the University must request this in writing accompanied by a signed consent form from the patient. We can then complete the letter and will invoice the University. If requested by the patient, the invoice will be sent to the patient as this work is not covered by the NHS GP contract.

 

Lasting Power of Attorney and Court of Protection “Deputy” applications

LPAs do not require completion by a doctor (or solicitor for that matter). The Donor must have capacity to apply, and friends can act as witnesses. LPAs can now be submitted online which is convenient for some people. We have a practice policy not to do this work as it is not a part of the NHS GP contract and so a fee would need to be charged (as these forms take a significant amount of GP time to complete).

{{ Number(3) + 1 }}. Private services we do not do

We do not recommend that patients request letters for the following:

  • Blue badges
  • Housing/changes in accommodation
  • Personal independence payment (PIP)

A doctor's letter will not add anything extra to your application, as we can only produce a letter from your records. We have been informed that these letters rarely make a difference to your application.

We recommend that patients provide their own information about their medical problems, focusing on the impact these have on their lives. If a medical report or evidence from your GP is required, then the report will be sent the practice directly by the council.

Why do GPs sometimes charge fees?

Read our frequently asked questions about non-NHS and private services.

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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