Non-NHS Services
Letters and Forms
We appreciate your trust in our medical services and understand that there may be times when you require a letter or report from your GP for various non-NHS purposes.
Please note that the provision of medical reports and letters falls outside the scope of the NHS and is considered a private service, for which a fee is payable, in cash. This work is carried out outside of NHS time.
Therefore, please be aware of the following:
- A fee will be charged - see the fee table below for details
- Requests can take up to 4 weeks, but it may be sooner according to workload.
- Patient consent is required before processing your request
- Prepayment may be required for certain services. Currently, we only accept cash payments. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept card payments or bank transfers at this time.
- If needed within 7 days, an additional £30 express fee will apply
- Please be aware that we may not always be able to accommodate private work requests. The decision to accept or decline such requests rests solely with the GP's discretion.
- Please note that the fees provided are a guide and may vary depending on the specific requirements of the service.
Fees
| Type of form or letter | Fee |
|---|---|
| Proof of registration | £30.00 |
| Private sick note | £30.00 |
| "To whom it may concern" letter | £40.00 |
| Statement of Fact letter | £40.00 |
| Full Medical Report | £120.00 |
| Brief Medical Report & sports medicals | £40.00 |
| Letter for local authority | £40.00 |
| Letter for legal authority | £40.00 |
| Exemption letter (for exams, seatbelts, exercise) | £40.00 |
| Holiday cancellation form | £50.00 |
| Fitness to travel letter | £50.00 |
| Childminder health form | £87.50 |
| Bupa or AXA form (for private referral claims) | £50.00 |
| DSA Form | £40.00 |
| Firearm forms | £60.00 |
Forms Provided Free of Charge
We complete the following forms free of charge:
- Freedom Pass applications
- Blue Badge forms
- Sure Start forms
- MatB1 forms
- Prescription exemption form
Other information
Timescales
While we strive to fulfil all requests promptly, it is important to understand that private letters and reports do not take precedence over NHS commitments. Kindly allow up to 28 days for the completion of your request and the payment of the appropriate fee. If your request is urgent or you are given a short deadline by a third party, please submit a valid evidence with your request so that we may be able to help you with your request early. There is an extra fee of £30 for a one-week turnaround.
Content
It is crucial to note that we cannot accept requests for the doctor to write specific words verbatim. The content of the letter will be based on the GP’s knowledge supported by your medical records. Both the letter and the accompanying opinion are considered final, and requests for alterations cannot be accommodated. The GP reserves the right to refuse a request or provide alternative wording if deemed necessary.
Appropriate Requests
We are committed to assisting you and have outlined examples of suitable and non-suitable requests below:
Examples of appropriate requests:
- Fitness to travel or cancellation of a holiday
- Confirmation of medical conditions and/or medication
- Letters for mitigating circumstances (school, universities, employers, courts, etc.)
Inappropriate Requests
Examples of requests we cannot fulfil:
- Confirmation of address, ID, or residence (verification not possible)
- Countersigning passport applications
- Statements not supported by your medical record
- Housing forms
- Letters related to Council/housing requirements
Frequently asked questions
Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Contact us to speak to our reception team.
Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?
The British Medical Association (BMA) suggests fees that GPs may charge their patients for non-NHS work (work not covered under their contract with the NHS) in order to help GPs set their own professional fees. However, the fees suggested by the BMA are intended for guidance only; they are not recommendations, and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates they suggest.
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 their patients. Most GPs have a very heavy workload, and paperwork is taking up an increasing amount of their time. Our GPs do non-NHS work outside of NHS time (in the evenings or on weekends) to ensure that NHS patient care is not affected.
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 form, the doctor may need to check the entire medical record of the patient. Carelessness or inaccurate reports can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors' regulatory body) or even the police.
If you are a new patient, we may not have your medical records, so the doctor must wait for these before completing the form.
What will I be charged?
It is recommended that GPs inform patients in advance if they will be charged and the cost of the fee. It is up to individual doctors to decide how much they will charge. The surgery has a list of fees based on these suggested fees, which is available on request.
Why do I have to pay before the form is done?
Our practice policy is that all private fees are paid prior to the work being completed.
What can I do to help?
- Not all documents need a signature by a doctor. For example, passport applications can be signed by another person in a trusted position, free of charge. Please read the information that comes with these types of forms carefully before requesting your GP to complete them.
- If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if they are willing to complete them together to speed up the process.
- Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight. Urgent requests may require the doctor to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, which may cost more. Typically, non-NHS work takes 4 weeks to complete.
