Services which are outwith the NHS Contract

The National Health Service provides most healthcare 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.

Housing applications

The process of applying for local authority housing has moved exclusively online.  They will no longer accept paper applications.

You do not need a doctor’s letter. You need to complete a self-assessment form which is only available online or directly from the council. A letter from your doctor will not help the process

If the council are unable to process your application and need further medical information, they will request your written consent and write directly to your doctor in confidence to provide the required medical information

Reports / Letters / Forms

Medical examinations for special purposes such as driving medicals, pre-employment, insurance medicals etc can be arranged by appointment. Please ring for an appointment which will be outside of usual clinic times. This is a private service and a charge will be made for the service which must be paid on the day of the medical examination.

Certain requests are made for reports, letters, forms etc. which do not come under the NHS and are therefore chargeable. A current list of charges is listed below and displayed in reception.

It is our policy that clinicians do not provide such letters unless the organisation in question (eg. housing Association, Immigration Office) has written specifically to the Practice with a request for information.

If you still wish to proceed with your request then the following process should be followed:

• All requests must be put in writing to the Practice
• To maximise clinical time our clinicians will not be able to respond to ad hoc requests for support letters during surgery
• Letters and administrative tasks are normally completed outside of clinical time
• If the request is deemed appropriate please note that these services are not covered under your NHS entitlement so you will be charged a reasonable fee for the service
• Please allow 10 working days.

Most examinations and reports for insurance and employment purposes, HGV, PSV, Black Cab and PCO licences, BUPA/PPP claim forms, private medical certificates, countersigning of passport applications, other claim forms and certain letters etc are not paid for by the National Health Service. You will be charged a fee for these services accordingly, in line with those recommended by the British Medical Association.

Such examinations usually take about half an hour or so, and the Doctor will need to test a specimen of urine as part of the procedure. If you make an appointment for a private examination but fail to keep it then you will be charged a fee of half the full cost of the examination or report. For HGV, Black Cab and PCO examinations, the fee is £85.

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
• 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