Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:
- Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
- Insurance claim forms
- Passport signing
- Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
- Private sick notes
- Vaccination certificates
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.
Private providers
There has been a significant increase in patients going privately and then asking the GP to prescribe specialist medication as an NHS prescription on behalf of the private provider. This is not the same as NHS shared care.
Where a specialist has asked us to take over the prescribing of a medication, we will do this as long as it is within the competence of the GP. However, sometimes we are asked to provide medication that we are not able to prescribe and if this is the case we will inform you directly.
Patient safety
Private providers may not adhere to the same safety standards as NHS providers. Patient safety is our priority, and we need to be as certain as we can that we are prescribing safely.
Problems often arise when patients no longer pay to see the private specialist, leaving the GP to prescribe the medication without access to any specialist input. This is risky for patients and GPs are not insured for this.
Commissioning
GPs are not funded to carry out non-NHS work. Undertaking significant amounts of private work can lead to GPs subsidising the cost of private healthcare. At a time of ever increasing demands on primary care, this takes away significant resources from other patients, and promotes health inequality.
British Medical Association Guidance
The BMA has clear guidance on responding to private healthcare, which can be seen here (General practice responsibility in responding to private healthcare). Therefore, going forward, we are no longer able to prescribe new specialist medication on behalf of private services.
The private clinic will remain responsible for prescribing the medication for you and making sure it is safely monitored.
We can refer you to NHS services and will be able to enter into shared care prescribing with them, once an appropriate agreement is in place.
To ensure this policy is fair and non-discriminatory, this will apply to specialist prescribing on behalf of all private providers, not for specific patient groups or health conditions.