Non NHS Services

Several services we offer are not covered by the NHS contract, and as such attract charges.

The Government’s contract with GP’s covers medical services to NHS patients however in recent years more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a wide range of non-medical work. Sometimes the only reason that GP’s are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community or because an insurance company, employer or public body wants to ensure that the information provided to them is true and accurate.

Fees List

Updated June 2025 – In line with BMA recommendations
Some services are not covered by the NHS and require a private fee. The following list outlines our charges for non-NHS services:

🔹 Certificates & Forms

ServiceFee
Private sick note (less than 7 days off work)£25
Fitness to travel / exercise / study certificate£30
Holiday cancellation form£35
School fees insurance / travel insurance claim form£40
Ofsted Health Declaration Form£87.50

🔹 Medical Reports (No Examination)

ServiceFee
GP factual report (e.g. for employer, insurance)£104
GP letter (simple summary) for patient use£30

🔹 Medical Examinations & Reports

ServiceFee
HGV / PSV / Taxi / LGV / PCV Medical£130
Employment medical with report£165
Adoption or fostering medical£100–£160 (depending on report type)
Pre-employment medical£130
Sports / Camp medical with examination£60

🔹 Access to Medical Records (GDPR-compliant)

ServiceFee
Copy of medical records (electronic access only)Free
Printed copy of medical records (if requested)£35 admin fee
Solicitor / Insurance company access to recordsVariable – charged to requesting party

🔹 Other Services

ServiceFee
Private prescription (not available on NHS)£20
Letter for gym cancellation, housing, or court (on review)From £30
Blue Badge supporting letter£30

⚠️ Important Notes

  • Fees may vary depending on complexity and time required.
  • The practice reserves the right to decline requests not deemed appropriate.
  • If your request requires a GP to review your full record or make a clinical judgment, a higher fee may apply
  • Please note that this surgery does not complete reports/letters for shotgun/firearm licenses or benefit (DWP/PIP) appeal letters unless directly requested by the DWP.
  • Please be aware that GPs are no longer able to counter sign Passport Forms following new guidance from the Passport Office below:
    “Previously applicants were able to contact their General Practitioners for a countersignature but this is no longer allowed. The high demand made it infeasible to maintain for doctors inundated with requests. The only exception is if a medical professional is a close friend of the person applying.”
  • We do not complete Power of Attorney forms or carry out capacity assessments.

Firearms Licence Applications

Please note that doctors at Urmston Group Practice do not complete firearms licence application forms.

This is because such assessments fall outside of NHS contractual work and require a specialist understanding of firearms legislation and risk evaluation.

If you require a firearms licence, you may wish to contact an independent medical assessor who is experienced in this type of report.

We are happy to provide a copy of your medical summary to support the process.

FAQs

The following Questions and Answers are taken from advice by the British Medical Association (BMA) to help patients understand the fees charged by GP’s.

With certain limited exceptions such as a GP confirming that a patient is not fit for jury service GP’s DO NOT have to carry out non-NHS work. Many GP’s however will always attempt to assist their patients and carry out this work.
Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of patients. GP’s have an ever increasing workload of forms which must be prioritised against offering appointments.  Therefore this work needs to be completed outside of clinic time.
When a GP signs a certificate, completes a report or writes a letter it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register (which allows them to practice as a doctor) that they only sign what they know to be true. In order to complete even the simplest of forms the doctor may have to check a patient’s entire medical record.

Carelessness or inaccuracy can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctor’s regulatory body) or even the Police.
The BMA suggest fees that may be charged in certain circumstances

However these are intended for guidance only. Doctors are not obliged to charge the rates suggested by the BMA and the fee levels will generally reflect the amount of work and time involved.
A deceased person cannot be cremated until the cause of death is definitely known and properly recorded. Before cremation takes place two certificates must be signed, one by the GP and one by another doctor. The completion of these forms is not part of a doctor’s NHS duties and the fees are usually charged to the funeral director who generally passes on the cost to the family.

These fees are agreed with the National Association of Funeral Directors, the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors and Co-operative Funeral Care.

Death Certificates are a separate form and are completed free of charge.
To allow the practice to plan the GP’s time 6 weeks’ notice is required although many are completed within this time. Where a patient has an urgent request this should be explained to the receptionist who will note the request however it is not always possible for other more clinically urgent work to be delayed.