Non NHS Services – Chargeable

Services which are outwith the NHS Contract

Non-urgent advice: Payment for Non – NHS Services

Please note that all fees must be paid in advance before we can carry out any private or non-NHS work.
Payment can be made by cash, cheque or card at the practice.

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.

Please see some examples below of items which fall outwith the current contract and which are chargeable:

  • Private sick note
  • Brief statement of fact TWIMC letter
  • Holiday cancellation 
  • Insurance/sickness claim
  • Firearms/shotgun certificate
  • HGV/LGV/PSV/fostering medical report with examination
  • Standard insurance medical report
  • Power of attorney/capacity assessment 
  • All insurance reports, legal reports and examinations not covered above
Scottish Government Guidance on privately arranged and funded surgery overseas
In the event of a patient advising a healthcare professional of plans to travel overseas for privately arranged and purchased surgery, they should be advised firstly that this is not recommended.

While the NHS in Scotland will always provide emergency care where necessary, all routine pre and post-operative care should be part of the package of care purchased by the individual patient.

There is no obligation on NHS Boards or individual GP practices to provide such routine pre and post-operative care. All care required should be provided within the package of care sold by the overseas provider.
What happens when I am referred privately?
If your GP refers you to a private consultant, there are some important things you need to know about appointments, tests, medicines and follow-up care.

Your GP will write a referral letter if they feel a private referral is appropriate. The letter will include relevant information about your health. 

Once you have been referred, you should contact the private consultant’s team directly to arrange your appointment. You should also contact them if you have any problems with your appointment. 

Tests and procedures: If your consultant arranges tests, blood tests or a procedure, they are responsible for arranging these and explaining the results to you. You should contact the consultant rather than your GP practice about these results.

New medicines: Your consultant is responsible for providing the first prescription for any new medicine that needs to be started straight away. Your GP may sometimes be able to continue prescribing, but they will need information from your consultant first.

Returning to NHS care: If you want to transfer your care back to the NHS, your private consultant should arrange the appropriate NHS referral.

Fit Notes: If you need a Fit Note following treatment or an operation, the consultant providing your treatment is responsible for issuing it.

Follow-up appointments: Your consultant will tell you if you need another appointment or if your care is being transferred back to your GP. If you are waiting for a follow-up appointment, please contact the consultant’s office directly.

Questions about your private care: Please contact your consultant’s team directly with questions about treatment or care they have arranged.
Fit to Fly or Travel Changes
We are no longer able to provide Fit to Fly forms or certificates, or confirm that a patient is fit to travel.

Our clinicians are not qualified or indemnified to assess how flying or other forms of travel may affect your individual health conditions.

We can, however, provide you with a summary of your medical record which you can give to your airline, travel company or travel insurance provider if required.

If you are pregnant

If you are pregnant and need advice or documentation about flying or travelling, please speak to your midwife. They can advise you about your suitability to travel.
Your questions answered

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.

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 to do non-medical work 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.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:

  • accident/sickness insurance certificates
  • certain travel vaccinations
  • private medical insurance reports
  • statements of fact relating to general health e.g. for children’s dance classes
  • Letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient
  • Holiday cancellation claim forms
  • Referral for private care forms

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:

  • medical reports for an insurance company
  • some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency
  • examinations of occupational health

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 can I do to help?

  • If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once.
  • Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight

Examples of Non-NHS Services include the following: 

  • Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.) 
  • Insurance Claim Forms 
  • Prescriptions for taking medication abroad 
  • Private Sick Notes 
  • Vaccination Certificates 

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and Practice Reception Staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability. 

We do not offer DNA testing. Genetic testing is free on the NHS if you are referred for it by a hospital specialist. There is currently no NHS funding for DNA testing performed outside of registered diagnostic labs.