Non-NHS Services
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.
Alresford Surgery also provides the following non NHS chargeable services;
Forms and letters relating to private health insurance, travel insurance claims, the cancellation of holidays, the inability to attend or participate in exams, school or college activities and the ability/inability to undertake exercise or sports activities (this list is not exhaustive).
Should you have any other request please contact our reception.
Please note: All patients must be charged
We respectfully ask that payment for non-NHS work is in advance of the completion of the work.
Any requests for non-NHS work to be completed will take up to 20 working days to be completed.
If you are travelling please complete the online travel form found here.
Price List – Updated 2023
| Service | Charge |
| Private Medicals and Insurance Reports | From £165 |
| Adoption Medical | From £165 |
| HGV/Taxi/Pilot | From £165 |
| Pre-employment Medical | From £165 |
| Claim Forms (Incapacity/Private/School Fees/Sickness Benefit) | From £35 |
| Private Report (no exam) | From £85 |
| Private Prescription | £15 |
| Copy of Records (if repeat) – computerised | 55p per page |
| Copy of all records | From £55 (+55p per page if large) |
| Fitness to Travel/Compete Certificate | From £35 (charged at £165 per hour) |
| Holiday Cancellation Form | From £35 |
| To Whom Letter | From £30 |
| Firearms Application | £45 |
| Failure to attend medical (without 48 hours notice) | £35 |
| Hourly rate for any other private service | £165 |
Your questions answered
Isn’t the NHS supposed to be free?
The National Health Service provides most healthcare to the majority people free of charge, but there are exceptions: for example, medical reports for insurance companies.
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.
Travel
Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS. Our charges are as follows:
Travel Vaccination – Price List
| Vaccines Covered By NHS | |
| Cholera | Covered by NHS |
| Dip/Tet/Polio | Covered by NHS |
| Hep A | Covered by NHS |
| Hep A&B | Covered by NHS |
| Hep A & Typhoid | Covered by NHS |
| Typhoid | Covered by NHS |
| Private Charges for Vaccines not covered by NHS for Registered Patients | |
| Price Per Dose | |
| Hep B | £40 (3 doses required) |
| Japanese B Encephalitis | £95 (2 doses required) |
| Men ACWY | £65 |
| Rabies | £75 (3 doses required) |
| Tick Bourne Encephalitis | £75 (3 doses required) |