Services which are not covered by the NHS Contract
The National Health Service provides most healthcare to the majority of people free of charge, but there are exceptions to this. GP’s are self employed and are contracted by the NHS to provide general medical services to their patients.
Sometimes, GP are asked to provide additional services which fall outside the scope of the contract and therefore in these circumstances, they are entitled to make a reasonable charge for providing them.
List of common charges (this list is not exhaustive).
| Life assurance/ income protection reports | £104.00 |
| Supplementary Reports | £ 25.00 |
| Written report without examination (eg 30 mins) | £121.00 |
| Report / Pro forma, no examination (eg 20 mins) | £ 81.00 |
| Extract from records (eg 15 mins) | £ 60.50 |
| Extract from records (eg 10 mins) | £ 40.50 |
| Certificate / short statement of fact / signature only | £ 20.00 |
| Proof of address / registration / fitness to attend | £ 20.00 |
| HGV Medical (30mins examination) – non refundable if DNA | £162.00 |
| Taxi Medical with examination (excluding eye test) (eg 20 mins) | £ 81.00 |
| Taxi Medical without examination (eg 15 mins) | £ 60.50 |
| Insurance Medical questionnaire | £ 41.00 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?
The National Health Service provides most healthcare to the majority of 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 salaries, buildings heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS covers these costs only 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 the 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 lessons, gym membership etc
- letters requested by, or on behalf of patients
- 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 patients. Currently GPs have a very heavy workload 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.
At Heron Practice we aim to complete forms /letters within 28 working days
I only need the Doctor’s signature – why must I pay?
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, the Doctor might have to check the patients entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the Doctor. In addition, doctors pay significant amounts of money each year to remain on the Medical Register, so if the signature is for non-NHS work, your payment contributes a little towards this.
What can I do to help?
If you have several forms for completion, present them all at once
Please do not expect your GP to process forms / letters immediately (allow 28 working days)
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 medicine abroad
- Private Sick Notes
- Vaccination Certificate
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and are available from Practice Patient Services Staff at Reception.
Non-NHS (Private) Healthcare
In recent times the number of people in the UK accessing health care via private providers has increased.
As an NHS Practice we are keen that our service is fair to all our patients.
Private requests will take the same amount of time to complete as NHS ones.
