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Non-NHS Services
About private non-NHS services
Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges.
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.
Examples of chargeable services include the following:
- Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
- Insurance claim forms
- Holiday vaccinations
- Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
- Private sick notes
- Vaccination certificates
Private fees
Mental capacity assessments
GPs are often asked to make Mental Capacity Assessments for patients. These assessments can be requested for a variety of different reasons.
As GPs it is an essential part of our role that we are able 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 our expertise.
This page details the fees for Non-NHS Services, including Medical Reports, Letters, Private Consultations and Travel Vaccinations.
- Items are to be paid for in advance and are non-refundable.
Additional charges may be applied if the Doctor determines the level of work involved for a particular medical/ document is greater than normal or if the service is required urgently. The patient will be informed in advance where an additional fee is necessary. Once the additional fee is paid then the documents / forms will be released.
- Payment can be made via cash, cheque or card at reception.
- Please keep a copy of your receipt as proof of payment.
- This list is not exhaustive and may be updated.
- Each request will be reviewed by the GP.
- GPs reserve the right to refuse any private work at their discretion and at any time.
Medical examinations
- Fitness to drive - 30-minute appointment - £150
- Employment - 30-minute appointment - £150
- Taxi / HGV / Driving - 30-minute appointment - £150
- Seat Belt Exemption - 30-minute appointment - £150
- Sports - 30-minute appointment - £150
- Private Sector - 30-minute appointment - £150
- Insurance Medical form with examination - 30-minute appointment - £150
- Adoption / Fostering - 30-minute appointment - £150
- Attend School/University form - 20-minute appointment - £100
- Other Medicals - Per 10-minutes - £50
Forms, certificates and letters
- Private Fit-Note - Any Fit-Notes within the first 7 days of sickness are private - £30
- TWIMC Letter - £40
- Simple Questionnaires - £40
- Fitness to travel - £40
- Holiday cancellation brief letter - £40
- Insurance Medical form no examination - £100
- Holiday cancellation forms - £100
- Firearms / Shotgun Licence - £100
- County Council Clinical Waste Forms - £20
- Council tax exemption forms - £0 (Free)
Travel vaccines - for registered patients
- Hepatitis A - £0 (Free)
- Polio - £0 (Free)
- Tetanus and Diphtheria - £0 (Free)
- Typhoid - £0 (Free)
Frequently asked questions
Read our FAQs 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