What are Non-NHS Services?
Ongoing Medical Treatment/ services that contribute to the management of general/ common medical conditions ARE covered under the NHS Contract/ Services. In recent years, however, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a variety of non-medical work which is NOT covered under the NHS Contract/ Services. Sometimes the reason that GPs are asked is that they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate. The BMA (British Medical Association) suggest fees for any non-NHS work, which is not covered under GP’s NHS contract, as there has been no contractual time allocated to complete these services.
(For Registered Patients ONLY)
- Private Letter – £20.00
- Private prescription – £18.00
- Private sick note – £18.00– £63.00
- Medical deposit – £20.00
- Balance for medical – £80.00
- Full amount for medical – £100.00
- DSA Form – £18.00
- Immunisation History – £18.00
- Occupation health form – £30.00 – £63.00
- Travel/Camp./Armed forces form – £30.00 – £63.00
- Travel/Camp/Armed Forces Form (with medical) – £50.00 – £100.00
- Fit for Exercise Report – £30.00 – £63.00
- Holiday Insurance Certificate – £30.00 – £63.00
- Certificate of Sickness Health – £30.00 – £63.00
- Insurance Forms – £30.00 – £100.00
- Copies of Medical Records – £67.00
- Safeguarding Report – £120.00
- Safeguarding Attendance – £250.00
- Cremation Forms – £82.00
- Written Health Report (No Examination) – £89.50
- Written Health Report (Examination) – £133.00
- Adoption Forms – £24.36 (Part 2)
Travel Vaccines (For registered & Private Patients)
Consultation – £25.00 (For Private Patients) – Free (For registered Patients)
- Typhoid – £32.00 (For Private Patients) – Free (For registered Patients)
- Hepatitis A – £55.00 (For Private Patients) – Free (For registered Patients)
- DIP/TET/POLIO – £32.00 (For Private Patients) – Free (For registered Patients)
- Meningitis ACWY – £60.00
- Hepatitis B (Usually 3 doses required) – £35.00 Per dose
- Malaria Tablets – £18.00 for private prescription + Chemist price of Tablets (varies on amount of tablets needed)
- Yellow Fever – £65.00
- Rabies – £70.00
- Japanese B Encephalitis – £100.00
- Tick Bourne Encephalitis – £65.00
Please make sure you have a method of payment with you at your Consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will I be charged?
The BMA recommends that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged. It is up to the individual doctor to decide how much to charge.
What can I do to help?
Not all documents need signature by a doctor, for example, passport applications or blue badge applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge.
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 have to cover their costs – staff, building, heating, lighting, etc. The time spent filling out forms is not an NHS service, 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 want 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
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 12 hours a day-and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time.
I only need the doctor’s signature – what’s 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.