Private Fees (Non NHS work) – Information for patients and third parties

---

Do GPs have to do non-NHS work for their patients?

With certain limited exceptions for example, a GP confirming that one of their patients is not fit for jury service, GPs do not have to carry out non-NHS work on behalf of their patients.

 

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 and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time, so many GPs find they have to complete this work outside of and in addition to their normal hours.

As a result, this additional work can take up to 50 working days to complete.

 

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.

Therefore, in order to complete even the simplest of forms, 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 doctors’ regulatory body, the GMC (General Medical Council) or even the police.

 

Can my GP undertake a Capacity Assessment and / or authorise a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) application?

GPs are often asked to make Mental Capacity Assessments for patients. These assessments can be requested for a variety of different reasons. It is an essential part of a GPs role to perform capacity assessments which relate to decisions regarding medical investigations, treatment and care.

However, capacity assessments relating to overall welfare, finances and property are often more complex and sit outside of their expertise. Decisions such as whether someone’s house is sold or how their life savings are spent can depend on capacity assessments. It is therefore essential that adequate time and attention is dedicated to these assessments. It is also essential that those carrying out these assessments for legal purposes are highly trained and experienced in this area.

Due to the above and that these legal capacity assessments do not fall within the NHS duties of GPs, we are unable to undertake these capacity assessments at the Practice. However, there are other professionals who can perform mental capacity assessments including solicitors and psychiatrists.

 

I have been asked to obtain a letter for my DWP application, can this be completed by the practice?

For any DWP applications (PIP, Blue Badge, etc.) a patient summary is provided in the first instance. If required DWP will contact the practice directly for a detailed report. The practice is unable to write a letter on your behalf unless your application has gone to the appeal stage.

 

Can I submit a request on behalf of another patient?

Due to patient confidentiality, the practice is only able to discuss and action any request from either the patient, their parent / legal guardian or any person(s) with a legally valid Lasting Power of Attorney for Health & Welfare (LPA). Proof of any LPA will be required before any work is undertaken. This proof must either be from the original signed and court-stamped document or by allowing the practice access to your LPA entry on the Online LPA register.

 

Can I see the Health Records of somebody who has died?

The Access to Health Records Act, 1990 lays down strict guidance on what personal information can be provided to a third party regarding a deceased patient. Our application form has therefore been designed to provide us with sufficient information to ensure that we only provide access to those who are legally entitled to receive this.

For more information on this, please click HERE.

 

What can I do to help?

Not all documents need a doctor's signature, such as passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge. As a result, we are unable to process these applications, including passports.

If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if they are prepared to complete them at the same time. Please note, that an individual fee may still apply for each form, etc.

Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight: urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this may incur an additional fee. Please note, we may not always be able to expedite your form. 

In addition, online access by a patient may be able to provide the information required to complete your request. This is a free service for all registered patients. For more information on online access, please see our Patient Online Services section.

 

---

Private Work Fees

A list of our current fees  is provided below (last updated April 2023):

Fees are stated as 'pro rata' this is equivalent to an hour's work. (for example, if the work required takes 15 minutes the fee would be the pro rata hour rate divided by 4)

For patient requests, a non-refundable deposit of £25. is required before the commencement of this work. This deposit will then be deducted from the final invoice.

Where applicable, fees must be paid in advance of work being completed and supplied. Payment is preferred by online payment upon receipt of an electronic invoice. However, card, cash and cheques are accepted.

Where applicable, all requests must have accompanying consent from the patient or parent / legal guardian prior to any work being undertaken.

The practice reserves the right to suspend, extend processing times for private / Non-NHS work at any time due to busy periods.

These fees are for guidance only and are subject to change without notice.

 

 

Certificates & Forms *

To whom it may concern letters (short GP letter)			£25. **
Firearms Licensing Applications			£60.
Medical Reports		15 minutes	£65.
		30 minutes	£130.
		45 minutes	£195.
		1 hour	£260.

Urgent requests will incur a 25% surcharge. In addition, urgent requests may not always be guaranteed, especially during NHS peak times.

_{* A non-refundable deposit of £25. is required before the commencement of this work. This deposit will then be deducted from the final invoice.}

_{** Indicates the minimum fee. The actual charge will depend on the complexity of the work and will be confirmed before any work is undertaken.}

 

Private Consultations / Appointments

Private GP Consultation			£70.
Private Nurse Consultation			£35.
Private GP Telephone Consultation			£40.
Private Blood Test			£40. *

Urgent requests will incur a 25% surcharge. In addition, urgent requests may not always be guaranteed, especially during NHS peak times.

_{* In addition to the private blood tests fee, there will be an additional fee for the Hospital to undertake the blood test. The total fee will be confirmed with you before any work is undertaken.}

 

Medical Examinations

Short medical examinations for Blackthorn Health Centre patients only including HGV, Taxi, ML5 & ENG1 Medicals		30 minutes	£130.
Any medical for patients not registered at Blackthorn Health Centre			£200.

Urgent requests will incur a 25% surcharge. In addition, urgent requests may not always be guaranteed, especially during NHS peak times.

 

Solicitors Work *

15 minutes	£65.
30 minutes	£130.
45 minutes	£195.
1 hour	£260.

Urgent requests will incur a 25% surcharge. In addition, urgent requests may not always be guaranteed, especially during NHS peak times.

_{* £65. is the minimum fee for these types of requests.}

 

Insurance Reports

Full General Practitioner Report (GPR)			£120.
Targeted Report			£75.
Additional information request			£25.

Urgent requests will incur a 25% surcharge. In addition, urgent requests may not always be guaranteed, especially during NHS peak times.

 

Other Third-Party Requests

There are certain third-party requests with pre-established fees. These include Army reports (with full copies of notes), DVLA and DWP Pip Requests*.

_{* DWP PIP Assessments are requested from the Department of Work & Pensions. We are unable to process requests from patients for these assessments.}

 

Other Non-Chargeable Requests

There are certain requests that will be processed without a charge. These include the following:

Bankruptcy	Any individual who is able to give information about a bankrupt may be required to give evidence. The Court may also require such individuals to produce any documents in their possession or under their control relating to the bankrupt (S366, Insolvency Act, 1986).
Coroners' post-mortem	Although rarely used, the coroner has power under section 19 of the Coroners Act, 1988 to direct that a post-mortem shall be conducted by the deceased's general practitioner.
Council tax exemptions	To support a claim by or on behalf of a severely mentally impaired person for exemption from liability to pay the Council Tax or eligibility for a discount in respect of the amount of Council Tax payable.
Death certificates	Including death within 28 days of birth: the registered medical practitioner in attendance during the deceased's last illness must by law provide a certificate of cause of death (S22, Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1953).
Stillbirth certificates	At the request of the 'qualified informant', ie the next of kin, or the person eligible to report the stillbirth to the registrar, a registered medical practitioner present at the birth must give a certificate stating that the child was not born alive and giving, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the cause of death and estimated duration of pregnancy (S11, Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1953).
Notification of infectious diseases	There is no fee for issuing certificates about infectious diseases.
Paternity tests	Services which doctors are not obliged to provide, but when they do, the fee payable is governed by statute: for example, fees for taking samples of blood required in cases of disputed paternity under the Blood Tests (Evidence of Paternity) Regulations.
Professional evidence in court	Under the Supreme Court Act 1981, any registered medical practitioner may be directed to give professional evidence.
To establish unfitness for jury service	The Juries Act 1974 establishes that there cannot be a fee if a Healthcare professional produces a letter / report to the court to state if an individual is unfit for jury service.

 

 

For other items of work not listed above, please complete our Private Work Form and we will contact you if the requested work is more complex and costly. You must also complete the Consent Form before any work can be undertaken.

For Subject Access Requests, please also complete the Subject Access Request Form and return this with the Consent Form.