GP wants to charge excessive fee for Medical Form

rosalie-lavender

My doctor wrote a letter for my son concerning my son's medical condition. The charge was £17.50 so compared to that £59 does seem quite steep. The doctor originally quoted the charge to be between £17.50 and £35 depending on what it involved.

The_One_Who

I for one don't actually see what the issue with bank charges are, but I appear to be the only one.

As for doctors, my GP surgery charge circa £80 for a comprehensive medical to be completed and £30 or so for a doctor's letter. Yes, it may seem expensive, but they are not obliged to offer this under the NHS. It is not a scam, it is a service which they are providing and as such should be paid for it.

bumpoowee

The_One_Who wrote: »

I for one don't actually see what the issue with bank charges are, but I appear to be the only one.

As for doctors, my GP surgery charge circa £80 for a comprehensive medical to be completed and £30 or so for a doctor's letter. Yes, it may seem expensive, but they are not obliged to offer this under the NHS. It is not a scam, it is a service which they are providing and as such should be paid for it.

Well that's the issue really isn't it - they should be obliged to offer this on the NHS. They get paid enough already - to quote a GP I was speaking to recently.. "I don't know anybody who gets paid as much as I do for doing as little work as I do". That to me tells the whole story.

The_One_Who

bumpoowee wrote: »

Well that's the issue really isn't it - they should be obliged to offer this on the NHS. They get paid enough already - to quote a GP I was speaking to recently.. "I don't know anybody who gets paid as much as I do for doing as little work as I do". That to me tells the whole story.

Why should they? It doesn't really fall under the remit of the NHS.

bumpoowee

The_One_Who wrote: »

Why should they? It doesn't really fall under the remit of the NHS.

Because it is a health service which many people require. Clearly the powers that be think making use of this service is mandatory for anybody who wants to be a teacher. If this isn't under the NHS then why should any other health service be under the NHS?

The_One_Who

bumpoowee wrote: »

Because it is a health service which many people require. Clearly the powers that be think making use of this service is mandatory for anybody who wants to be a teacher. If this isn't under the NHS then why should any other health service be under the NHS?

It's not necessary for health care though, nor is it any form of preventative treatment. It has nothing to do with bettering the health care of the country. When the NHS was created everything was free, then after only a few years they realised it was far too expensive and so had to start charging for things like optical and dental care.

Everyone seems to want everything for free, when in reality is doesn't work like that. Sure it'd be nice if it did, but this is the real world.

bumpoowee

The_One_Who wrote: »

It's not necessary for health care though, nor is it any form of preventative treatment. It has nothing to do with bettering the health care of the country. When the NHS was created everything was free, then after only a few years they realised it was far too expensive and so had to start charging for things like optical and dental care.

Everyone seems to want everything for free, when in reality is doesn't work like that. Sure it'd be nice if it did, but this is the real world.

It doesn't necessarily have to be free, just not priced at the extortionate rate given here. It should be 'under the NHS' in the sense that GPs are required to provide it if requested and regulated with a (reasonable) maximum charge.

The_One_Who

Everyone is going to have different opinions on just what is reasonable.

juliescot

bumpoowee wrote: »

It doesn't necessarily have to be free, just not priced at the extortionate rate given here. It should be 'under the NHS' in the sense that GPs are required to provide it if requested and regulated with a (reasonable) maximum charge.

How about £59 - sounds a reasonable charge to me?

bumpoowee

juliescot wrote: »

How about £59 - sounds a reasonable charge to me?

Well I guess you have a lot more money to throw around than I do then! That's the best part of a day's wages to me, I would resent having to pay that for some overpaid and overrated GP to come down from their ivory tower to lower themselves to signing a bit of paper that I had no choice but to accept. When I was a student £59 would have been a week or mores spending money.

£10 sounds fair to me.