Services which are out with NHS contract
The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions. GPs are self employed and contract 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.
The following are some of the services that are not covered by the NHS, so you would be asked to pay a fee:(please make enquiries to our reception team as to what services we currently offer). Please also understand there is no legal obligation for this work to be done, and we cannot always guarantee that we will undertake requests for non-NHS work.
- University and College Students – IF YOU ARE ILL
During the time you spend at college or university you may experience an episode of illness. This may impact on your ability to attend lectures, exams, tutorials or completing some of your course work. We can only help with significant illness. Short duration or self-limiting conditions such as colds, flu, headaches, diarrhoea and vomiting do not need a doctors letter, and we will not issue one. Sick lines for work (known as form Med 3) are only applicable for illnesses preventing employment and Statutory sick pay purposes, and are not meant to cover illness in students.
HGV/PSV medicals, (please note you need to bring photo ID to your appointment. Please also note that the HGV D.L.V.A. medical examination form includes getting an eye test. We ask that you have this done with a registered optician, prior to seeing us. Most GP surgeries do not have the specialist equipment required to do a full eye exam).
- Pre-employment medicals
- Private health insurance claim forms
- Certain holiday vaccinations
- Private Certificates including those for College or University
Examples of other non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their own NHS patients are:
- accident/sickness certificates for insurance purposes
- school fee and holiday insurance certificates
- reports for health clubs to certify that patients are fit to exercise
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:
- life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies
- reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with disability living allowance and attendance allowance
- medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering
Requests for Housing Letters
We receive a lot of requests for letters in support of housing applications. These letters, for which there is a charge, unfortunately do not usually increase your priority for housing. In some cases, they may, in fact delay your allocation as they may inadvertently make you less suitable for certain types of accommodation. Please take this into account before requesting a letter. It is important to be honest and open with your Housing provider.
We will only complete factual responses. We are not able to give an opinion. If in doubt we will refuse to complete the request and may instead issue a copy of medical records with your consent to support your application.
If the council requires additional medical information, they should send a specific form to the GP surgery. You will need to provide your written consent for this.
If you are intending to apply for a council home for health reasons you do not need to send a letter from the GP.
The Council will write, in confidence, to your doctor if further information is required.
GPs receive frequent requests for medical letters and reports in support of housing applications from a variety of sources – the local authority, housing associations, directly from patients and from patients via Citizens Advice Bureau. The arrangements for seeking GP reports and for payment vary from local authority area to local authority area, and even when clearly agreed are often not implemented by local authority staff. However all requests should come via the Council or Housing Association and not the patient.
Information in support an application based on health grounds should be supplied by the applicant using a form provided by the Housing Department (self-assessment). This should not require any input from the GP/practice.
Only if additional information is required, should the Housing Department obtain it from the applicant’s GP, preferably using a standard form, provided the patient has given written consent. They should seek information which is only available to the GP, for example:
- the diagnosis;
- severity of the illness;
- medications
Your Questions answered
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: 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 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
- certain travel vaccinations
- 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.
- Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight:
Examples of Non-NHS Services include the following:
- Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
- Insurance claim forms
- Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
- Private sick notes
- Vaccination certificates
Examples of Non-NHS Services include the following:
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.
