Non-NHS Fees

The National Health Service provides most healthcare to the majority of people free of charge, but there are exceptions. GPs are self-employed and are contracted to provide NHS general medical services for their patients.

Sometimes, GPs are asked to provide additional services which fall outside their contract and in these circumstances, they are entitled to make a reasonable charge for providing them.

Payment is required upfront and once we have received payment then this work will be passed to the Doctor for completion, as this work is outside our NHS contract we ask for upto 28 days for this work to be completed.

Where do fees comes from?

The British Medical Association (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 can it take a long time to get a form completed?

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 NHS workload and this paperwork is done at times set aside for it.

I only need the doctor’s signature – why do I need to wait?

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.

What is going to be the charge?

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.

How can I keep costs down?

• 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.
• Plan in advance. Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight. You should expect the form(s) to take up to 4 weeks to be processed.

Our Non-NHS Service Fees