Private Fees and Non-NHS Services
All general medical services provided by Ashdown Medical Group remain free under NHS regulations. However, GPs are sometimes approached for assistance due to their trusted position in the community or because insurance companies or employers require assurance that the information provided is accurate and reliable. While GPs strive to support their patients, it is important to note that certain services fall outside NHS provisions. These services include:
- Private medical certificates or insurance reports
- Legal reports
- Medical reports for insurance companies
- Accident/sickness insurance certificates
- HGV and DVLA forms
- Letters for taking medication abroad
- 'To Whom It May Concern' letters
- Vaccinations for travel abroad
- Dispensing private prescriptions
- Converting private prescriptions to NHS prescriptions
- Private prescriptions for travel purposes
For a complete list of charges, please contact our Medical Secretaries.
The BMA provides guidelines for fees related to non-NHS work, which are not covered under a GP’s NHS contract. However, these fees are advisory, not mandatory, and doctors are not obligated to charge the suggested rates.
We understand that some patients may require urgent non-NHS work. While we will do our best to prioritise and complete this work promptly, we aim to finalise private requests within six weeks. Please note that time spent on completing forms and preparing reports takes GPs away from providing medical care to patients, which remains our primary priority. GPs also reserve the right to refuse private work if their workload is too great, to ensure they can focus on their primary medical responsibilities.
When signing certificates or completing reports, doctors must ensure that the information provided is accurate. As a condition of remaining on the Medical Register, they can only certify what they know to be true. Even for the simplest forms, this may require a thorough review of the patient’s entire medical record. Inaccurate or careless reports could have serious professional and legal consequences for the doctor, including action from the General Medical Council.
Vaccinations
We offer a course of 3 Hepatitis B vaccines for a fee of £50.00 each, £150.00 in total. There is no charge for the Hepatitis A vaccine.