Non NHS Services

Non-NHS Fees and Charges; Your questions answered:

Why are the services changing?

Over recent years we have seen a very sharp rise in the demand for NHS services in General Practice. We will not take on privately funded work that may impact on our ability to meet the NHS needs of our NHS registered patients.

For that reason some services will no longer be available. In every case there will be other private providers of the service that you need.

What is a Non-NHS Service?

A Non-NHS service is any service which is not funded by the NHS. While we provide many additional services as detailed below, you are under no obligation to obtain these services from us even if you are registered with us.

Why do GP’s charge fees for some services?

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions. Prescription charges, for example, have existed since 1951, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged. Sometimes the charge is made to cover some of the cost of treatment, for example dental fees. In other cases it is because the service isn’t covered by the NHS at all, for example, medical reports for insurance companies, claims on holiday cancellation insurance and other letters and forms which require the doctor to review the patient’s medical records.

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The government pays your GP surgery to provide a list of specific medical services to NHS registered patients.

Currently they pay £123.58 per year in your area. That’s  33 pence per day on average to provide YOU with EVERYTHING covered by the NHS contract.

Here is he information of what is in the NHS GP contract: NHS England (NHS Contract Page)

Examples of non-NHS services for which GP’s must charge their patients:

  • Certain travel vaccinations
  • Private medical insurance reports
  • Holiday cancellation forms
  • Referrals for private care
  • Letters requested by or on behalf of the patient
  • In certain instances, fitness to work forms

Examples of non-NHS services for which GP’s must charge other institutions:

  • Medical reports for an insurance company
  • Some reports for the DSS/Benefits agency
  • Examinations of local authority employees
  • Work done by GPs requested by Social Services

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

We do not allocate any NHS funded time to attend to non NHS workload, in fact the NHS workload spills out of the NHS contracted hours every single day. Time spent completing forms and preparing reports must not be allowed to impact on the medical care of our patients and so is typically addressed outside of working hours.

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. Therefore in order to complete even the simplest of forms, the doctor needs to check the patient’s entire record, including your archived paper notes. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the patient and the doctor, with the General Medical Council or even the police.

By requiring you to ask someone else to complete a form for them before they allow you to do something, organisations may be seeking to pass over responsibility for that decision.

Unfortunately we have neither the resources nor the expertise required to attend to every kind of form that people bring in and so naturally, there are some that we will not be able to complete for you. In every case there will be other private providers of the service that you need.

Why have some of the prices changed?

We have not revised our non-NHS fees since 31 March 2017, but our costs have risen year on year. We are no longer able to subsidise this non-NHS workload to the same extent without any impact on our NHS commitments.

All current 2017 fees will remain in place until 31 January 2019 at which point the revised schedule below will come into force. Some, but not all of our non-NHS fees have increased, while other services will no longer be available from us due to the time constraints of our increased NHS workload.

In those circumstances, our reception team may be able to help you find other providers of the Non-NHS funded service that you require.

Why do I have to pay VAT on some but not all Non-NHS Fees?

From 1st May 2007 the practice has to charge VAT on certain non-NHS fees.

 The policy suggested by HM Customs & Excise is that VAT is not chargeable on areas where the service directly “protects, maintains or restores the health of an individual”. Accordingly, these services are currently exempt from VAT charges.

By way of illustration, in circumstances where the service enables the individual to undertake an activity (whether or not related to their health) or facilitates a third party to make a decision (that may or may not relate to the health of an individual), VAT IS chargeable at the standard rate of 20%.

Our VAT Registration Number is 881204046.

Charitable Donations

We raise money for additional patient equipment via a charitable donations fund. 

In this way we are able to offer you some additional Non-NHS funded services free of charge, for example home blood pressure monitoring or spirometry. 
All donations are gratefully received.

Your entire charitable donation directly benefits patients that use these services and no percentage of the donation is used for administration or any other purpose.

Thank you for your support.