The Greyswood Practice offers the following Non-NHS Services:
- Brief Medical Summary – no charge.
- Proof of registration/ address – £15.00
- Simple Statement of Fact Doctors’ Letter – £35.00
- Private Medical Certificate (GP letter prior to 7 days of sickness) – £35.00
- Fitness to Travel Letter – £35.00
- Firearms licensing check – £35.00
- Private Medical Insurance Form e.g. BUPA/ Vitality – £50.00
- Adoption Medical Forms – £100.00
- Taxi/DVLA/TFL Medicals – £140.00
If you need us to complete a private medical report, please call the surgery and discuss your request with a member of the practice administration team.
We accept cash or card for payment, which is usually taken before the examination or preparation of the report. In order to be fair to all patients, there are no exceptions to the charges. We aim to complete requests within 4 weeks of payment date.
Why does my doctor charge fees?
When your doctor is asked to give medical information about you in the form of a report, letter or certificate, the request kick starts a series of processes.
This takes time and is not always straightforward or simple to complete. Some of the information is not available easily and will mean the doctor has to sort and select the right information for the request.
The doctor also must establish who is funding this work and if it is not part of their NHS work, agree a fee for this.
Surely the work is paid for by the NHS?
Not all work GPs are asked to do is paid for by the NHS, and many GPs are self-employed. This means they must cover their time and costs – staff, buildings, heating, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS only pays for NHS work, so any work outside of the NHS must be funded by other means, and this is why fees are charged.
Why does it take so long?
The surgery receives a large number of requests, which are often to do with whether your general health allows you to do something e.g. to work, receive benefits or drive, or for insurance purposes, court or other medico-legal reasons.
All requests will vary in complexity, volume and consistency, ranging from signing a certificate which can take minutes, to an in-depth report with an examination that can take hours.
What your doctor is signing
When your 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, they may have to check your entire medical record (some of which may not be accessible on a computer or on site).
Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors’ regulatory body) or even the Police.
What can I do to help?
– Not all documents need a signature by a doctor and can be done by other professionals. Please check the form and accompanying guidance.
– If you have several forms requiring completion, please present them all at once.
– Please don’t book an appointment with one of the GPs to complete your form. Our administrative team will advise you if this is necessary and arrange your appointment accordingly.