SCALE OF CHARGES
Why do I have to pay?
GPs have an NHS Contract to provide a wide range of medical services but there are some things that aren’t included therefore aren’t available through the NHS. Examples of work not covered by the Contract are medical reports and the majority of certificates. As a general rule only those certificates that are needed by the Department of Social Security are provided by GPs as part of their NHS Contract.
Any medical examination or procedure requested for use by a third party, such as a pre-employment medical examination or medical examination for insurance purposes, must be paid for by the person who requests it. In most circumstances the patient does not pay for this directly as the Practice will present a bill directly to the person or company that asks for the report.
In some circumstances however a patient will need to pay the Practice for a report/certificate, largely because the companies and agencies that ask for reports now exclude medical fees from their prices to allow them to reduce their costs to attract business. There will also be a charge to patients if they request a letter for the purposes of employment, housing, travel etc.
The number of requests we get for medical reports is increasing and yet our available time is not. In past years we have absorbed some of this work as a courtesy to patients but we find we can no longer work without payment and in the interests of fairness we now charge for all non-NHS work.
This section includes a list of the most common reports/certificates provided to patients and/or their representatives and the charges as at April 2008.
As the Practice is VAT registered some of our charges are subject to VAT at the current standard rate.
SCALE OF CHARGES
| Westfield Claim Forms |
£10.00 |
Private Sickness Certificate Often requested by employers for their own pension schemes. You do not need a private note unless you have a private or employers pension scheme. Otherwise an NHS certificate should do. |
£9.00 |
Accident or Sickness Claim Form BUPA or PPA Confirmatory Certificate Many loan and mortgage companies offer payment protection and when claimed against these policies will require a certificate to be completed by the GP. Likewise private sickness insurance plans require confirmation of treatment. |
£25.00 |
Holiday Cancellation Form and Fitness to Travel Certificate Where holiday arrangements are cancelled or insurance companies require advice on a patients medical suitability to travel. |
£25.00 |
Medical Examination and Report
- Patient/Employer/Insurance
- Government
|
£148.00
£88.00 |
Medical Report Only
- Patient/Employer/Insurance
- Government
|
£98.50
£66.00
|
| Extract from Medical Records Where a company, employer or sporting association require a medical examination and report on fitness. Examples are for certificates to box, drive racing cars or sub-aqua dive. |
£49.50 |
HGV, PSV, Driving Medical Examination It has always been required to demonstrate physical fitness before a licence to drive either heavy goods vehicles or public service vehicles. Now older people or those with chronic disease may also be required to demonstrate their medical fitness to drive. |
£75.00 |
All prices are subject to VAT at the standard rate