GP charges for letters etc.

SteveBurns

I recently asked my GP for a letter in support of my Blue Badge appeal. She charged me £15. for just a few words on a piece of paper, I considered it not very helpful so did not use it.

I am an ex firefighter and qualify for recuperation at the fire fighters charity centre but I need a GP to complete a medical questionnaire, she wants £25. to do this for me.

I do begrudge paying for such a service, I know other GPs charge more than £25. but even so it is a rip off don't you think?

Avrielle

Absolutely! I think it is awful! Some GP's don't charge for certain things, or at all. But some can really rip you off.

Is there any way that you can put in a note with your applications to contact the GP over the phone themselves to proceed with the claim? Some you can, and some you can't. And some GP's even charge for certain phone calls!

I think it is ridiculous. Charging £15 for a letter that may not even be of any use at all as they are lazy for their money and only put the most basic of basic information down!

They are healthcare proffessionals, not Solicitors!

It does anger me.

Perhaps there should be something done like if you are on an HC2 certificate or elegible for free prescriptions in England (don't know how it works in Wales or N Ireland - Scotlands prescriptions service is free for all though) i.e. being 18/19 and in full time education, on certain benefits, or registered disabled etc then free GP services should be applied too.

Anyone up for a petition?

stickywicket

My GPs charge in theory but, whenever I've needed anything (eg form to saying I was suitable for Riding for the Disabled) they never actually charge in practice, even when I remind them. I suspect it's to deter scroungers.

duvarayi

I'm still fuming myself because I went to my GP and asked for the report that will have all the information that would have been written on the form DWP sends to GP when you apply for DLA as they used the ATOS report to refuse my application which lied about my mobility. The most annoying thing is having to ask for this from the receptionists.

I got a call to tell me I had to pay £40 for it and when I went to my appointment I asked for it and my jaw dropped when we were handed a heavy big brown envelope which I couldnot even carry and I told her that was not what I asked for as she had copied my whole medical history. I explained again what I wanted and my daughter wrote it down. She called me and told me it's £60 to write the factual report and charged me £10 to give me a copy of my son's consultant hospital report I needed for his tribunal.

I won't be paying the £60, I'll ask CAB to get it for me as I cannot afford to pay that amount. My previous GP was not charging for letters so I agree with you that it's a rip off. Yours is cheap though.

elainebadknee

Steve

Thats daylight robbery mate! My GP is generally very good and has done letters for me in the past, signed photo's for application forms etc and not charged me...Every now and then I show my appreciation re card of small box of chocs!! £25 is hellish....

Elainex

SteveBurns wrote:

I recently asked my GP for a letter in support of my Blue Badge appeal. She charged me £15. for just a few words on a piece of paper, I considered it not very helpful so did not use it.

I am an ex firefighter and qualify for recuperation at the fire fighters charity centre but I need a GP to complete a medical questionnaire, she wants £25. to do this for me.

I do begrudge paying for such a service, I know other GPs charge more than £25. but even so it is a rip off don't you think?

bubbadog

My G.P Surgery charges similar prices for letters, it's disgraceful!! Especially if you think who is going to ask for letters the most? Answer:- Disabled people!! Someone needs to set a countrywide petition up so we can show our discust at the charges!!

stickywicket

Well, these are my surgery's charges for non-NHS stuff. I don't think they relate mostly to disabled people and I think, if you compare them with lawyers or bankers documents, the charges are reasonable - especially as they've always waived them for me.

Simple certificate £15.00
Detailed certificate/letter £40.00
Private sick note £15.00
Vaccination certificate £15.00
Freedom from infection certificate £20.00
Fitness to travel certificate £20.00
Fitness to travel certificate + examination £75.00
Fitness to perform certificate £20.00

elnafinn

I did a little googling and found this on a money saving website:

"Managing a GP surgery we always get complaints about having to pay for this, my response is always the same.....

This is non-NHS work therefore not covered under the contract that the GP holds with the PCT. Even if a form just needs a signature because a patient has filled it out, the GP still has to check all the information against the medical records to ensure that what he/she is signing their name against is correct. We can get up to 50 requests per week for this kind of work including writing letters to say people are fit to travel, perform, exercise, holiday cancellation forms, army medicals, private sick notes, shotgun licenses, the list is endless. I employ a part time member of staff to deal with all of these requests, our medical secretary has 'non NHS' time to type up reports and of course the GP's time which takes the most.

Why should the NHS provide letters free of charge to help people claim money back?! £73 is not a ridiculous amount as someone has pointed out it could have been a very lengthy report which required a lot of time. If I billed patients for the actual amount of time the form took from start to finish and based that payment on how much we have to pay a locum GP per hour - patients would be keeling over with shock.

General practice is now very competitive and is also a business which some people always seem to forget. People moan about GP salaries but if you saw the hoops that have to be jumped through and the work involved outside 'just seeing patients' you can see it is almost justifed."


Elna x

barbara12

Steve this is awful, like Elna says they are business now, so it all depends on your GP what they charge....if you needs a few letters ...can you not haggle...I know I would

Folara

I can totally relate to this. I had to pay £20 for a useless letter that didn't contain any of the information I had asked for and if anything could have damaged my case with the ESA so there was no way I could use it. Not only that but it had taken them 6 weeks to do the letter because they had forgotten to do it, despite me spending a fortune on next day recorded delivery.

Plain disgusting and ridiculous.

Fols x

theresa4

HI
My GP is great the charges are general NHS charges but if I go in and see my GP if they can do it within an appointment they do me a quick letter. I should have had to pay for my medical travel letter re MTX needles, but my GP did me a quick letter. I have to admit shes just altered the dates for a previous letter so would be peeved if I had to pay for it but to be honest I didnt pay for the original :roll: Then again my GP is pretty good with most things 2 of them in fact. They do quite alot of supporting letters for me without charge but if the admin team get wind I have to pay so they try to keep it quiet if they can If I have to pay I do so but then Ive never been disappointed with my GPs support I got through ESA and DLA claims first time round without appeal which Im sure is because of their detailed letters to DWP, and just recently Ive been put in the support group and again I feel this is largely due to my GP's support and detailed letters to DWP before I even ask for them, they always ask me what I can and cant do to update their system if I havent already told them recently.
I suppose its like anything they have to show they are competitive in the market otherwise they will lose their contracts, I would much prefer paying a charge to them having to join with other practices to become a super surgery, so far they have managed to expand just enough to avoid this.

Theresa

SteveBurns

Interesting that we all have similar experiences.

I recently asked one of the the GPs for a letter in support of my DLA appeal, she told me that GPs do not decide on DLA therefore she was not prepared to do the letter.

If you want to see your GP held medical records you can and they will not charge because it is a right to see them. I have had copies of hospital reports and my medication as far back as 14 years when I joined this practice.

I do hope they declare all this private work to the taxman :roll:

diamond

I think it all depends on whether it is a short note or a very detailed report that is required.My gp wrote short note for assistance at airport free of charge.Other gp wrote out short note to excuse me from jury duty as it was only two weeks after TKR,no chance i would be able for all of that,don't think they are allowed to charge for this anyway.Sorry you had to pay so much Steve.

duvarayi

SteveBurns wrote:

If you want to see your GP held medical records you can and they will not charge because it is a right to see them. I have had copies of hospital reports and my medication as far back as 14 years when I joined this practice.

That's what I was charged £40 for by my GP practise.

The receptionist told me it will take about 30 minutes for them to go over my medical history and then write the factual report. So to me that means it's not the GP who will write it but receptionist.

If the GP was to write it he won't have to go over my medical history as he knows what's wrong with me. I get help with my personal care from a carer and my GP contacted Social Services not me when my condition deteriorated within few weeks and could not even get in the bath. He helps me get on and off the exam bed, he sees my swollen joints as they always are almost everytime I go to GP.

Am I correct in thinking that the practice managers make some of the rules? My regular GP left the surgery and the new one is so good as well. When I asked for a report he said to go to the reception and if he could do it he would. That is what makes me think someone else makes the rules.

Our GPs write something down everytime we go see them so all we ask is them to summaries into a report.

stickywicket

duvarayi wrote:

Our GPs write something down everytime we go see them so all we ask is them to summaries into a report.

:shock: Have you ever tried summarising a long file into a report, duvarayi? It takes ages and GPs can't be expected to remember everything about us. When I go into hospital and have to list my own medical history I often forget stuff. I forgot the cancer once :roll: It's not that simple.

duvarayi

sticky

All I need is the cornfirmation of my walking problems, moving from chair to chair, getting in and out of bed to show that the ATOS nurse lied when he said I can walk 100 meters. My problems with personal care, GP did Social Services refferal for me, she told me she will do it, I didn't ask. I went to see her and broke down and I told her how this disease has turned my life up side down.

I was not asking for my whole medical history just the new ones brought on by the arthritis. She made wheelchair refferal for me because she saw how bad I am and even asked the lady in another part of the building to borrow us wheelchair once. My daughter was told to go get it when we have to go to GP and wheelchair services can't bring us the loan one.

I was aware that I may have to pay but then became angry when told to pay £60 pounds for the letter because the receptionist has to go over my medical history to be able to write the factual report, which is what DWP would have asked for for my DLA application. If I go see my GP and he writes this letter he won't have to go read my whole medical history. He opens the door for me long before I get to it.