Fee for Doctors Letter

netlang

My 15 year old daughter recently fell from a horse and injured herself quite badly. She was in hospital for 2 days and thankfully she is only suffering from massive bruising, this has resulted in her not being able to be assessed for her PE GCSE as she is off school on the advice of a consultant.

The school needs a letter from her GP to explain to the exam board why she could not take her exam. The letter that consists on 2 small paragraphs and then copied has just cost me £41!!!!!!!!

Come on Martin start another campaign against these unnecessarily high and unfair charges. If it was for an adult OK but for a school child NO WAY

Karrie

I had a docs letter recently and it cost me £13. Yours seems a very high charge. I just had to have another one and asked my doc how much this one would be and she said she didn't agree with charging for letters and would do it for nothing. She asked that I didn't tell anyone though :rolleyes:

foxxymynx

I don't agree nor to many of the doctors that I've seen...but different surgeries have 'set prices', - shold be available from reception

anonymousie

It is a private service, not a part of any contractual obligation for GPs to provide letter/certs for things like this. It is entirely in order for the GP to charge what ever they feel appropriate. Remember that the fee covers not only the GPs time, but secretarial costs etc etc.
You should have been advised of the cost before the work was done.If you aren't happy you do not have to proceed.
You have the right to have acess to your GP notes, and to have copies of them for a small photocopying fee.Often this is adequate for most perposes for which a "letter" is requested.

Next time try asking the consultant and see how much they charge- IF they agree to do it at all:rotfl:


Sorry ..hopping off soap box now!

inkie

Remember that the fee covers not only the GPs time, but secretarial costs etc etc.

For which the secretaries get paid an annual salary regardless of the workload that they do. My GP recently did a letter for me for the holiday insurance, and I said how much and he declined payment!

Ellie2758

I paid £10 for a letter from the GP for the 11+ board, explaining that my son had been in hospital. That was 7 years ago.

andycarmi

I always offer my GP money for letters or for my passport which he has done twice. He never takes the money.

That is very high price Netlang!!!!

Mrs_pbradley936

I do not think there should be a charge for this. I understand that they have to charge under some circumstances but to say a child was in hospital and unfit for some time after is not one of those circumstances in my opinion.

jazzyjustlaw

I must say I think he should charge. I have been charged for a letter. They can charge for a signature but often do not. Why should they do it for free. Perhaps £41.00 is over the top but I think a campaign against this would be innappropriate to say the least.

andycarmi

DH GP HAS a sign in the waiting room saying the doctor charges for addmi... and the money goes to Cancer UK.

ooobedoo

I have had 3 letters from my dr in the last year and there is no way he would charge me for them, saying that when He came to see my daughter when she was first born I gave him a thank you card and a bottle of jack daniels to say thank you as he had been a complete star during my pregnancy, he seemed so gobsmacked but I really wanted to do something thoughtful. I have also bought him a large packet of chocolate biscuits when he helped get my man backfrom sea(he is in the navy) when I had pregnancy complications.