Why do GPs charge for some services?
The NHS covers the cost of your medical care, but there are a number of services that fall outside your GP’s NHS contract. When a GP prepares a private certificate, letter or report, they do so in their own time, drawing on their professional knowledge and accepting personal responsibility for everything they sign.
Even a short letter requires your GP to review your full medical record before signing- because signing something inaccurate carries serious professional consequences. The fees below reflect the time, responsibility and skill involved, not just the length of the document.
Reports can take up to 4 weeks to complete
Before you request anything- please read this
| 1 | Payment is required before work begins. No report or letter will be released until the fee has been paid in full. This is necessary because the practice incurs significant GP time on work that is sometimes never collected. |
| 2 | Do not book a GP appointment to request these services. Please contact reception instead. Our reception team will take your request, arrange payment, and obtain your signed consent form. The GP will then complete the work at a time set aside for private correspondence. |
| 3 | You must sign a consent form. For any letter or form that involves disclosure of your medical information, we require your written consent before we can release or send the document. |
Our fees
Service | Fee |
CERTIFICATES | |
| Private sick note | £45 |
| Holiday cancellation certificate (no examination required) | £55 |
| Holiday cancellation certificate (examination required) | £130 |
| Duplicate certificate | £15 |
| Other certificates are priced individually on request. Please ask at reception. | |
LETTERS | |
| ‘To Whom It May Concern’ letter – short (one paragraph) | £45 |
| ‘To Whom It May Concern’ letter- long (more than one paragraph) | £60 |
| Urgent requests carry an additional surcharge of £15. Urgency cannot always be guaranteed. | |
FORMS AND REPORTS | |
| Private Medical Insurance application form * | £130 |
| Targeted medical insurance report | £80 |
| Accident / sickness claim form- with examination | £150 |
| Employer report- no examination | £120 |
| Employer report- with examination | £165 |
| OFSTED childminder health form | £105 |
| Pharmaceutical trials report | £150 |
| * Fee marked with an asterisk includes VAT. | |
MEDICALS | |
| Adoption / foster medical | £160 |
| Firearms / shotgun licence- basic report | £105 |
| Firearms reports may be declined at the GP’s discretion depending on the complexity of the case. | |
VACCINATIONS AND BLOOD TESTS | |
| For travel vaccinations and blood tests, please ask at reception for our separate Travel Health price list. | |
Services we do not provide
To avoid unnecessary journeys and waiting time, please note that we are unable to provide the following:
- Passport countersigning- the Passport Office no longer accepts GP countersignatures. Please ask a friend, colleague or other professional in a position of trust.
- Fitness to travel certificates- we are unable to certify that a patient is fit for a specific travel itinerary or activity. We can, where appropriate, write a factual letter about your medical condition at the standard ‘To Whom It May Concern’ rate.
- Power of Attorney or mental capacity assessments- these require specialist medico-legal expertise. Please seek advice from a solicitor or specialist assessor.
- Unsolicited DWP, PIP or benefit appeal reports- we are not responsible for decisions about benefit entitlement and do not complete these on request. We will respond directly to formal requests from DWP or HMCTS in the usual way.
How long will it take?
Private correspondence is completed outside of normal clinical hours. We aim to complete requests within four weeks. During busy periods this may take longer. If you have a genuine deadline, please let reception know when you submit your request- we will do our best to accommodate it, though this cannot always be guaranteed.
If you have several forms to complete, please submit them all at once. We are happy to discuss a reduced rate for multiple items completed together.
Why does a simple signature cost so much?
When a doctor signs a document- however brief- it is a condition of their registration with the General Medical Council that they only sign what they know to be true. Before signing anything, your GP may need to review your entire medical history. An inaccurate or careless report can have serious consequences for the doctor professionally and legally. The fee reflects that responsibility, not the length of the document.
If you need something that is not listed here, please ask at reception.
