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Non NHS Private Fees
Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges.
The NHS provides most healthcare services to patients for free, however, prescriptions for most individuals require a set fee unless exempt. You might be exempt from paying your prescriptions due to your annual income, if you are over 60, are under 16 or are between the ages of 16 and 18 and in full-time education. You can find out more about prescription fee exemptions on the NHS website.
Why are some services not covered by the NHS?
The Government covers medical services to NHS patients, however, does not cover all GP fees. This is because GPs are not employed by the NHS but are considered self-employed. This means they have to cover the costs of hiring staff, electricity bills for the surgery and other general building costs.
Examples of non-emergency NHS services include the following:
- Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
- Insurance claim forms
- Passport signing
- Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
- Private sick notes
- Vaccination certificates
If you have any questions regarding non-emergency NHS services, please contact us at reception at 0161 368 3312 or email us via our secure online form
The BMA fees for non-NHS work
The British Medical Association suggests costs that GPs can charge their patients for private clinic services. This is taken as guidance and helps GPs to set their medical fees, however, are not obliged to follow.
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.
Medical forms for non-NHS services
A doctor has to check over a patient’s full medical record, therefore can take time. It’s important that the doctor reads through your record carefully, and this is often done outside of their surgery opening times.
All forms received for completion by your GP are classed as ‘private work’. The GPs NHS work takes priority and we are unable to give a timescale for the completion of the form.
When leaving the form at reception, the receptionist will make a note of your contact details and you will be contacted by an administrator when your form is ready for collection. A fee is payable at the GP’s discretion on collection of the form.
In most cases, we aim to tell the patient prior to treatment that there will be a charge.
List Of Fees
- DVLA D4 (Bus/Lorry) Examination Form: £95 to £190
- Employment Examination (HGV/Pilot/Taxi): £145 to £290
- Firearms Form: £50 to £100
- Foster Carer Medical: £78.36 to £156.72
- Holiday Cancellation Insurance Form: £26 to £52
- Insurance Reports: £150 to £300
- Private Blood/Urine Test: £25 to £50
- Short Form: £25 to £50
- Short Letter: £25 to £50
Why do GPs sometimes charge fees?
Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?
The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions: prescription charges have existed since 1951, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged. Sometimes the charge is made to cover some of the cost of treatment, for example, dental fees; in other cases, it is because the service is not covered by the NHS, 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.
What is covered by the NHS and what is not?
The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients. 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 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.
Can you give examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients:
- accident/sickness insurance certificates
- certain travel vaccinations
- private medical insurance reports
Can you give examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions:
- medical reports for an insurance company
- some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency
- examinations of local authority employees
- DS 1500 Form (Disability Living/Attendance Allowance)
Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?
The BMA suggests fees for non-NHS work which is not covered under a GP’s NHS contract, to help GPs set their own professional fees. However, these fees are guidelines only, 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 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 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. Surgeries often have lists of fees on the waiting room wall based on these suggested fees.
What can I do to help?
- Not all documents need 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.
- 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 forms overnight. You should expect the form(s) to take up to 4 weeks for the GP to complete and return