Non NHS Services – Chargeable

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.

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 fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and Practice Reception Staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability. 

In the event of a patient advising a healthcare professional of plans to travel overseas for privately arranged and purchased surgery, they should be advised firstly that this is not recommended.

While the NHS in Scotland will always provide emergency care where necessary, all routine pre and post-operative care should be part of the package of care purchased by the individual patient.

There is no obligation on NHS Boards or individual GP practices to provide such routine pre and post-operative care. All care required should be provided within the package of care sold by the overseas provider.

Please note that medical report request can take up to 2 weeks to be completed.

Request a Letter from your GP

Request for a private letter of form for completion. Please download and complete the form below. Applicable fees must be paid at time of request, then deliver to the Practice.

The preparation of these letters or reports is not covered by the NHS. The doctor must complete them during their own time and as such there is a fee payable. All letters require the doctor to take time to review a patient’s medical records to ensure that the information provided is correct, then the doctor has to dictate the letter, and finally a medical secretary has to type and print it.

“How long will it take?”

Private letters do not take priority over NHS work and hence may take some time to prepare. Please allow at least two weeks.

“But I need it today/tomorrow/next week/sooner than that!”

In genuinely urgent cases, we will do our best to meet your deadline; however, we cannot promise this. If you cannot wait, we will refund your fee if the letter has not yet been written.

“The doctor has to write these exact words…”

We are very sorry, but we usually cannot accept requests for the doctor to write the letter in a specific way. The doctor will write what he or she knows is supported by your medical record, and his or her opinion on what that should be is final. Please use the form linked below to request your letter, but note that our doctors reserve the right to refuse your request or provide alternative wording.

Please note: if you insist on the doctor changing your letter to suit what you think it should say, or if you want to dictate the contents, we will withdraw our offer to write the letter and refund your fee. Please remember that the doctor is not obliged to write a letter for you at all, as this is not an NHS requirement.

Private Treatment

Patients are to note if they choose to get treatment from a private clinic and this information is needed for an ongoing concern or appointment in the hospital, it is your responsibility to pass on the information to the hospital. We can provide you with copies of the private clinic letters for you to give to your consultant if requested.

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 

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and Practice Reception Staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.