Fees for Private Services
(Updated September 2019)
Certificates and Forms
- Private Sick Note £35.00
- Private Prescription £20.00
- Sickness/Accident Insurance Claim Form £40.00
- Holiday Insurance Certificate £40.00
- Health Club – Fitness to Exercise £40.00
- Fitness to Travel Certificate £40.00
- Vaccination Certificate £20.00
- Extract of Medical Record (Electronic) – £10
- Extract of Medical Record (Inc. Paper record) – £50
Letters
- Urgent Letter (required within 3 working days) £40.00
- Standard Letter (Required within 10 working days) £30.00
Please complete the letter proforma here or collect one from the reception desk. This will ensure that the letter accurately represents what you are asking for.
PLEASE NOTE: If the GP is unable to do the letter, you will be refunded the full fee.
If the GP has already composed the letter, and it is printed then the full charge will be payable even if the letter is no longer required. For this reason we request patients to ensure you select the correct time frame and associated charge for this service.
PLEASE NOTE: We do not sign Passport Forms
Immunisations and Vaccinations
- Hepatitis B (x3 dose course) £115.00
- ACWY Vax – Meningococcal Vaccine £40.00
- Rabies (x3 dose course) £140.00
- Tick Borne Encephalitis £165.00
Medical Reports/Examinations
All reports and examinations are based on the BMA recommended rate of £266.00 per hour. As guidance, the following reports take an approximation of the time indicated below:
- Extract From Report (approx. 15 minutes) £66.50
- Report on Proforma, no examination (approx. 20 minutes) £95.00
- Medical Examination and Report (Standard 35mins) £155.00
- Medical Examination and Report(Comprehensive 1 hour) £266.00
All other reports not specifically defined above will be charged at the hourly rate. Please note that exact fees cannot always be determined in advance.
Print out of Results
We are willing to print out copies of results (i.e. blood test results). However if the results are over 40 days old there will be a charge of £10. If you wish to have a print out of your results please enquire at the desk or via phone.
Why do GPs sometimes charge fees?
Your questions answered
Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?
The NHS provides most of its healthcare to most people free of charge. However, there are exceptions: prescription charges have existed since 1951. There are a number of other services for which fees are charged. Sometimes the charge is made to cover some of the cost of the treatment, for example dental fees. In other cases it is because the service isn’t covered by the NHS for example medical report 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 any small business would. 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 all medical services to NHS patients. In recent years, an increasing amount of organisations have been involving doctors in a wide range of non-medical work. Sometimes, the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust within 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
- 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 local authority employees
Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?
The BMA suggested fees for non-NHS work which is not covered under the GPs NHS contract. This is to help GPs set their own professional fees. However, these are guidelines, 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 their 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. Therefore, to complete even the simplest of forms, the doctor may 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.
What can I do to help?
Not all documents need a signature by a doctor, for example passport applications. You can ask another person of trust to sign such documents free of charge (N.B. we as a surgery do not sign passport applications).
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 a form overnight: urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process that form quickly.
This could entail a further costs.