Non-NHS work

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 because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example, providing copies of health records or producing medical reports for insurance companies, solicitors or employers.

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients but not non-NHS work. It is important to understand that many 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.

In recent years, however, 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 ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate.

• accident/sickness certificates for insurance purposes
• school fee and holiday insurance certificates
• reports for housing
• private prescriptions for travel purposes

• life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies
• reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with disability living allowance and attendance allowance
• medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering

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. Whilst GPs will always attempt to assist their patients with the completion of forms, they are not required to do such non-NHS work.

The British Medical Association (BMA) suggest fees that GPs may charge their patients for non-NHS work, however, the fees are intended for guidance only. The Doctor is not obliged to charge the rates they suggest.

If you do make an appointment to discuss your request for a non NHS service please be aware that there may be a charge for the use of an NHS consultation.

Medical Examination and Reports (non-listed reports may be available at the discretion of the Doctor)

• Employment: including driver fitness, HGV, Hackney Carriage, PSV, Employment requests, Council and sports requests
• Insurance reports without examination
• Adoption, Fostering and Child-minding Medical
• Straight forward certificates of fact
• Accident or sickness letter (without examination) for patient to claim under accident or sickness insurance
• Private medical insurance claim forms
• Holiday insurance claim forms
• Private sick notes / capacity to work
• Report on a pro-form without examination
• Written report without examination

Please note our GPs do not provide opinion based reports for Firearms Licences, and will provide a computer summary only. We do not provide fitness to fly certificates.

Our fees range from £38.50 – £177.00 and vary depending on length of time required, please ask for a quotation.

Private patients can see a Doctor for a fee of £40 (per 10 minute consultation). An additional charge of £15 every 5 minutes thereafter also applies.

If a private prescription (FP10) is required this will cost £15 plus the cost of the medication itself.

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. Our GPs do non-NHS work out of NHS time at evenings or weekends so, that NHS patient care does suffer.

Please do not expect your form to be processed overnight.

The Doctors and secretaries will try their best to process your form as quickly and as safely as possible. It is not unusual for non-NHS work to take 2 weeks or more. GPs try and complete non-NHS work during their own time, so usual NHS patient care is not disrupted.

If you want advice please telephone in and speak to the medical secretaries.

When a GP 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 GP with the General Medical Council (the Doctors’ regulatory body) or even the Police.

If you are a new patient we may not have your medical records so the Doctor must wait for these before completing the form.

It is recommended that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and what the fee will be. It is up to individual doctors to decide how much they will charge. 

The surgery has a list of fees:

Non-NHS Services Fees List (PDF)

• 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.
• If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask if your GP can complete them at the same time to speed up the process.
• 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 cost more. Usually non-NHS work will take 2 weeks.