Private Work – Non-NHS Services

Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Why do GPs sometimes charge fees?

You can make any of the following private requests by emailing swlicb.admin.hamptonmedicalcentre@nhs.net, handing a written request to our receptionist, or completing an admin triage form.

As this is private work and not covered under the NHS contract, it can take the GP up to 28 days to complete your request. We will be in contact you either by email, telephone or text message when it is ready to be collected. We understand that deadlines can be important; however, please note that we cannot guarantee the GP will be able to complete your request in a certain timescale. All fees are to be paid on collection.

Hampton Medical Centre reserves the right to apply a charge for excessive printing of Subject Access Requests (SARs). This charge is generally applied only when the SAR exceeds 1,000 pages. The fee covers the cost of printing, including paper and ink, as well as the administrative time involved in producing the documents.

Our fees for non-NHS services:

Type of request	Charge	Who Pays
Subject Access Request (SAR) – These requests will be provided directly to the patient (the data subject) and cannot be sent to third parties, including solicitors.	None	N/A
To whom it may concern letter for the council, housing, school, gym etc.	£35	Patient
Fitness to travel or fly letter	£35	Patient
Fitness to participate in or attend an event (without examination)	£35	Patient
Private health forms (BUPA, Vitality, L&G etc)	£35	Patient
Holiday cancellation form	£35	Patient
Jury exemption form / letter	£35	Patient
Targeted report of medical records and records between a specific date range	£65 single page, £85 more than 2 pages	Third Party / Insurance

Forms typically requiring an appointment with GP
Fostering form + examination	£100	Patient
Childminder form + examination	£100	Patient
Adoption form + examination	£100 (per person)	Patient
Capacity Assessment + Letter	£100	Patient
Fitness to drive form (e.g. TFL, DVLA) + examination	£100	Patient
Power of attorney form (health and welfare or property and financial) + examination	£110 (per form)	Patient

Examples of requests that we cannot fulfill:

Proof of address letters – The practice is not able to provide letters to confirm your address as we do not ask for proof of address at the time you register. We are able to provide a letter stating the date you registered with us and the address you have given us, which has a charge of £15, per patient.
Countersigning passport applications – Other options are available on the government website
Free Swim Pass applications – these are no longer supported by the swimming centre.
Fitness-to-return-to-work letters – these assessments are carried out by your workplace Occupational Health (OH) department.
Any correspondence that is not supported by your medical record.

We are sorry, but we are unable to accept requests for the doctor to word a letter in a specific way. The doctor will write the letter based on their clinical knowledge and the information supported by your medical record, and their professional judgement on the content is final. Please note that our doctors reserve the right to decline any requests to alter the wording or add additional statements.

We are unable to issue refunds for letters or forms once they have been completed by the GP. If you no longer require your request, it is your responsibility to inform us before the GP begins the work.

Frequently Asked Questions

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?

medical examination for taxi employers such as TFL
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
targeted report of your medical records, for example a report of your medical records dated from 01.01.2012 to 01.01.2022
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.

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