Private Fees and Charges
Why do GPs charge fees?
The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge but there are exceptions such as prescription charges and NHS dental fees. The NHS does not provide medical reports for insurance companies, claims on private health insurance and other letters and forms which require the doctor to review the patient’s medical records.
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge patients:
- Private medical insurance reports
- HGV licences and DVLA forms
- Holiday cancellation forms
- Letters requested by, or on behalf, of a patient
My form is for a charity event – can you waive the fee?
We are asked to fill in many forms for charity or fundraising events. The practice does not favour one charity or event over another so the fee cannot be waived.
How long should I allow for the work to be done?
Please allow up to 28 days for the work to be completed. The practice has a substantial volume of non-NHS work to complete weekly and it is all done in addition to the NHS work and hours. An additional charge may be levied for more urgent requests. If your work is urgent there will be a surcharge for this and acceptance of this work will be based on GP availability.
I only need the doctor’s signature – why do I have to wait?
When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, they have to take time to review the patient’s records first. These can be electronic or paper records. Some forms, such as an initial gun licence, require the GP to review the medical records from birth to present day. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council or even the Police.
How much will I be charged?
The fees are listed further down this page.
What happens to my private (non-NHS) request?
- All requests for private work need to be submitted in writing. If you are requesting completion of a form, please supply the form and all other relevant paperwork/information.
- Your request is received and processed by our private administration team. The request is documented and the paperwork is then prepared for distribution to the GP.
- The GP sets, alters, or confirms the fee payable for completion of the work. We will contact you to confirm this. If you are required to pay prior to completion of the work, you will be notified of this.
- Once the fee has been confirmed with you, the paperwork is given back to the GP for completion.
- Once completed, the GP returns the paperwork to the private admin team. The team file a copy to your medical records, complete any further action necessary, and notify you that the paperwork is ready, and of any fees to be settled.
How can I help?
- Not all documents need a signature by a doctor, for example passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge. Read the information that comes with these types of forms carefully before requesting your GP to complete them.
- Ensure you have enclosed all relevant paperwork and information with your request, and completed in full any parts of the form you are required to complete as the patient. Missing information may mean the GP is unable to complete the request and this may lengthen the process.
- Please be patient with us. Whilst our GPs will always attempt to assist with this where possible, as NHS providers, we have to prioritise NHS care. This means in order for private work to be completed without impacting our NHS service, our GPs complete these requests in their own time. You are welcome to call our admin team for an update on your request and we will do our best to advise you.
List of private fees and charges
All fees are payable in advance and are non-refundable (unless work not completed)
| Service |
Fee |
|
Simple letters e.g. “to whom it may concern”
|
£35
|
|
More complex letters – time charged at initial fee of £35 + £100 per hour
|
Varies
|
|
Urgent letters (required less than 7 days from request) - £30 surcharge on above fees
|
Cost of letter + £30
|
|
Simple certificates/forms ie travel cancellation
|
£35-50
|
|
More complex certificates - Accident and insurance certificates, freedom from infection certificates, validation of private medical insurance, health club written report to certify that the patient is fit for exercise, more detailed holiday cancellation forms (this list is not exhaustive)
|
Varies as above, roughly £100 an hour
|
|
Medicals
|
HGV/Taxi/Driving etc
|
£100
|
|
Pre employment/insurance
|
£150
|
|
Employment medical report
|
Proforma report – no medical
|
£100
|
|
Written report – no medical
|
£150
|
|
Council tax exemption forms
|
No charge
|
|
Subject Access Request (copy of patient notes)
|
No charge for initial request, can charge for second request within 6 months
|
|
Army Targeted Report
|
£80
|
|
Travel Permit Form
|
£15
|
|
Firearms licence
|
£70
|
Medi2Data
Due to a large increase in administrative workload, Springfields Medical Centre has decided to outsource our medical reporting and private administration work to Medi2Data who will process your request using their system eMR.
What is eMR/Medi2Data?
Medi2data is an NHS Digital accredited company who have developed a digital system called eMR which enables the production of digital, GDPR-compliant medical reports. The eMR software was designed for data security, speed and efficiency, and interfaces with our GP practice’s system to extract medical records to be included in Medi2data’s reports. eMR empowers patients to easily see and share their medical data, allowing them to stay in control of their records.
To speak to Medi2data regarding your report, please contact their reports team directly via Live Chat, or email a reportqueries@medi2data.com
The Live Chat is accessible on Medi2data’s website, www.medi2data.com, by selecting the speech bubble in the bottom-right corner of the page. Choose option 3 - “I’m looking for a status update on a report” - and you will be connected to an operative promptly.
If you have any concerns regarding your data, please call the Medi2data support team on 0333 3055 774 and select option 4, or email via connect@medi2data.com