Non-NHS Services

Private/Non NHS Services

When your doctor is asked to give medical information about you in the form of a report, letter or certificate, the request kick starts a series of processes.

This takes time and is not always straightforward or simple to complete. Some of the information is not available easily and will mean the doctor has to sort and select the right information for the request.

Many patients see their doctor as the embodiment of the NHS and all that it provides – free care at the point of delivery. However not all work doctors are asked to do is paid for by the NHS. The doctor must therefore establish who is funding this work and if it is not part of their NHS work, agree a fee for this.

GP Surgeries must cover their time and costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS only pays for NHS work – any work outside of the NHS must be funded by other means and this is why fees are charged. These charges are made in line with BMA recommendations for private work and are calculated on the cost of the time taken to undertake the work which will include both clinician and administrative tasks and other costs that are incurred in undertaking private work.

You can find the list of our charges on the following link Private Fees

Fit Notes (Med3 Certificates)

If employees are off work for 7 days or less, they do not need to give their employer a fit note or other proof of sickness from a healthcare professional.

When they return to work, their employer can ask them to confirm they’ve been off sick. This is called ‘self-certification’. The employer and employee will agree on how the employee should do this. They might need to fill in a form or send details of their sick leave by email. Patients can complete their own Self Certification Form online.

Remember that if you have been in hospital, a certificate to cover any in-patient period, and anticipated recovery time post-discharge,  must be issued before you are discharged from hospital care.

Where patients are asking for a Fit Note (Med3) within their first 7 days of absence, this will be chargeable as this contravenes National Law on Self Certification and Employee rights.