The National Health Service provides an excellent service that, for most treatments, is free at the point of need. Unlike most countries, when you need to see your GP, you do not have to pay. However, there are exceptions to what the NHS will pay for: for example, prescription costs, some dental treatment, cosmetic procedures.

The NHS sets out what it will pay GP practices to do and what it won't pay for. Where we are asked to do work not paid for by the NHS, this takes staff and doctors away from doing NHS work. We have to make that time back up which costs the practice money. To be fair to everyone, we have to pass those charges on to whoever asks us to do the work.

For small pieces of work requested by our patients, that only we can do (for example, holiday cancellation forms), our charges are aimed simply to cover our costs.

How much do we charge?

We are revising our current fee schedule. You are advised to check the most up to date costs with the practice before commissioning work on your behalf.

Cancellation Policy

Any work you have requested us to do on your behalf can be cancelled, so long as we have not already commenced work on it. However, once we are started work, a charge will be levied to cover our costs. 

Passport Signing - an update

Recent changes to the requirements for a passport countersignature mean that GPs are no longer able to sign passport applications.

The regulations require that any person of good standing (and there is a long list of who that includes) can act as the counter signature. However, the main criteria is that the person knows you personally. Therefore, a friend who is a GP can sign a passport application for you, but we, as a practice, are not able to offer this service simply because you are our patient, irrespective of how long we have known you

Firearms Licensing Applications - An Update

From 1st January 2017 we will be charging patients for firearms applications.

In April 2016, the law changed on the firearms application process. The new rules required the police to ask the GP to review the applicant’s records for any medical conditions that might raise concern about the applicant owning a firearm. GPs are required to respond within 21 days. Applicants can of course withhold consent for the police to approach the GP, but this will result in the application being denied.

Whilst we are obliged to provide a report, this work is not part of our NHS contracted work and therefore in line with other private work we are introducing a small charge to cover the administration and GP resources. We do understand that this may be disappointing but at a time when the practice and NHS are under tremendous workload pressures, it is important that the NHS resources aren't diverted to fund non-NHS work.