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Non NHS Private Fees

The practice offers a range of private medical non-NHS services in addition to the Travel Advice Clinic. These include:

  • Private medicals
  • HGV Medicals
  • Insurance / Mortgage reports
  • Employment Medicals
  • Private Patient Consultations
  • Private Prescriptions
  • Duplicate sick notes
  • Private letters

Please note that these services are private and therefore chargeable. Full payment will be required at the time of requesting a service which is a Non NHS service. If you would like to know more please contact the admin team.

We are unable to countersign passports or other documents

As an NHS GP practice, our primary responsibility is the health and wellbeing of our patients, and our clinical time is dedicated to providing medical care. We are therefore unable to countersign passport applications, photographs, or any other documents on behalf of patients. The HM Passport Office guidance makes clear that a GP cannot act as a countersignatory simply by virtue of being a doctor, they may only do so if they know the applicant personally outside of the doctor-patient relationship.

This is a longstanding rule designed to prevent patients from using GP appointments for administrative purposes, helping to protect appointment availability for those with genuine medical needs. With NHS GP practices already under significant pressure, we kindly ask that patients seek a countersignatory from the wide range of other eligible professionals, which includes teachers, lawyers, accountants, and police officers, among others.

For a full and up-to-date list of accepted countersignatories, please visit Countersigning passport applications and photos: Accepted occupations for countersignatories.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

Why do GPs sometimes charge fees? Yours questions answered in our FAQ.

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