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Non NHS Private Fees
Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:
- Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
- Insurance claim forms
- Private letters
- Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
- Private sick notes
- Vaccination certificates
- Image of a doctor
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our secretarial team will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability. Please note that this is a guide and fee scales can change over time. A charge may be higher depending on the complexity of a patient’s medical conditions and how long it may take the GP to collate all the necessary information. Please bring your forms with you so we can obtain an accurate quote for the request.
You should expect the form(s) to take between 4 to 8 weeks for the GP to complete and return but this is not guaranteed. Urgent requests can be requested but may incur additional charges.
Private Fees
- Bus Pass Application/Renewal £40.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Freedom from Infection Certificate/Letter £45.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Holiday/Travel Cancellation/Certificate/Letter £55.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Insurance Claim Form (Sickness/Accident/Travel etc) From £45 capped at £140 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Basic letter (info from patient summary) £40.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Statement of Fact (info from entire patient record) £55.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
We do not provide letters for Blue Badge Applications
- Medical Examinations – All (Driver/Employment etc) £126.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Medical Report £126.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Occupational Health questionnaire / Pre-Employment Health Declaration for an employer or University course £63.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Private Medical Consultation, Subject to an additional charge if a home or out of hours consultation is required £200 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Private Sick Note/Certificate £35.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Seat Belt Exemption Certificate (from records) £35.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Seat Belt Exemption Certificate with Medical £126.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Taxi Voucher Application on Medical Grounds £35.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Medical Examination arranged short notice (on the day / next day) £252.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Failure to attend Medical Examination £126.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Photocopying (per side) £0.60 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Firearms £75.00 (Payable by patient prepay)
- Coroner’s Report - tbc
- Fostering and Adoption AH1 (Paid by company)
- Fostering and Adoption AH2 (renewal) (Paid by company)
Travel vaccinations
Vaccine cost included
- Hepatitis B Course £45 per dose (3 doses required). Doses at 0, 1 and 5 months
- Meningitis (ACWY Vax) £55 per dose (1 dose required). No Booster required unless for certificate reasons
- Meningitis B £100 per dose. No Booster
- Rabies Course £65 per dose (3 doses required). Doses at 1, 7, 21 (or 28) days. 10 years need Booster
- Malaria Tablets £35 charge for Private Prescription
- Chicken Pox £60 per dose (2 doses required). Doses at least 4 weeks apart
- Tick Bourne Encephalitis £65 per dose (3 doses required). Doses at 0, 1 to 3months and 1 year. 2nd dose must be given at least 1 week prior to travel. 3 years Booster needed
Why do GPs sometimes charge fees?
Read our frequently asked questions about non-NHS and private services.
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