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Non NHS Private Fees

Learn more about private services fees

Private Fees

Requests for private letters, reports, and other non-NHS documentation fall outside the scope of the NHS General Medical Services (GMS) contract and are not funded by the NHS. These services are therefore classed as private work.

In line with guidance from the British Medical Association (BMA), General Practitioners are not obliged to undertake private work and may decline any request. NHS clinical care will always take priority.

All requests for private work are considered entirely at the discretion of the GP. The GP must be satisfied that any request is appropriate, safe, and that sufficient information is available before agreeing to proceed. Submission of a request does not guarantee acceptance or completion.

Fees and payment

Prices will only be confirmed once the request has been reviewed by a GP to determine whether they are willing and able to undertake the work. Where a request is accepted, the fee will be confirmed in advance. Costs may vary depending on complexity and the time required, in line with BMA guidance and local practice policy. No work will be carried out until agreement to proceed has been confirmed.

Timescales and contacting the practice

Where a request is accepted, the work will normally be completed within 28 days.
We kindly ask that patients do not contact or chase the practice regarding the status of their request within this timeframe. Excessive contact places significant pressure on administrative and clinical staff and reduces the time available for direct patient care. All requests are processed in date order and within agreed timescales.

Requests we do not provide

Under no circumstances will the practice provide letters, certificates, or forms for the following:

Visa applications
Passport applications
Firearm or gun licence applications
Taxi or private hire medicals
Sports participation or clearance (including marathon running, scuba diving, skydiving or similar activities)
Proof of address letters

We appreciate your understanding that GP time is a limited NHS resource and must be prioritised for patient care.

Our fees

Letters/ Forms / Certificates

Private Sick/Accident note from £36.00
Private Doctors Letter (short) from £36.00
Private Doctors Letter (in depth) from £60.00
Private Prescription from £36.00
Driving Licence Form from £44.00
OH Form for joining the Police (paid by the applicant) from £36.00
Fit / Unfit to attend letter - no examination from £36.00
Fit / Unfit to attend letter - with examination from £85.00
Holiday cancellation Form from £45.00
Medical Costs Insurance Form (normally BUPA pay £50 towards this) from £67.00
Child Minder form from £90.00
Ofsted Health Declaration from £65.00
University Health Questionnaire from £36.00
JET Form from £36.00
Camp America from £36.00

Reports

General Practioner Report from £100.00
Fitness to travel from £36.00
Report from records (no examination) from £67.00
Detailed report from records, no examination, providing opinion/statement on condition of patient from £150.00
Comprehensive clinical examination including report, certificate or completion of forms from £200.00
Personal Injury claim - examination & report to solicitors from £250.00
Typed report from medical records from £120.00
Power of Attorney (without visit) from £85.00
Power of Attorney (with visit) from £150.00
Housing Report/Letter from £36.00
Report or Pro-forma, no exam (Ins Comp) from £89.50
Army / Navy Reports from £65.00

Medical examinations

Elderly driver fitness from £65.00
Diabetic driver fitness from £65.00
HGV & PSV from £130.00
HGV concession to unemployed from £55.00
Employment medical, report & examination from £185.00
Adoption Medical KCC AH from £85.00
Fostering AH2 from £96.00

Other Fees

Court of Protection Med Cert 3 with exam from £115.00
Court of Protection Med Cert 3 without exam from £60.00
Access to medical records - charge to be identified if request is judged excessive or unfounded

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

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