GP Letter

willoswonka

hi , i just rang my gp for a letter to support me for my ESA assessment he was going to charge me £60 fro it is that right ?

im fuming

also when can you ring esa for the report they will produce on my condition

IAmWales

A report from the GP would be a private service, £60 is reasonable if you compare to professions with a similar level of training.

We are very lucky to have the NHS, and sometimes because we don't see the cost we don't realise how expensive it is to run.

TELLIT01

willoswonka wrote: »

also when can you ring esa for the report they will produce on my condition

There is no point in requesting a copy of the assessment unless you 'fail' and ESA is going to be stopped. If you are accepted for ESA you don't need the report.

teddysmum

Our GP has a price list posted, giving details of charges for various letters and examinations, such as for a LGV licence and some are near the £200 mark.


As has been said, they are not part of the doctors' contracts, so they can charge as they please for what is private work.


Something that I was surprised to learn, the other day, is that vaccinations for foreign holidays are free.


As these are not for the sick , but healthy people who choose to risk visits to countries, which incubate diseases such as typhoid and cholera, I'm very surprised that there is no charge; this being quite different from the vaccinations for children and vulnerable people , to stop the spread of common infections such as measles , polio etc , which this group has to risk living with.

paragon909

£60 does seem a bit high for a GP letter.

My local GP charges about £10-£15 max! The GP doesn't actually charge, It's the practise manager who puts these charges in place.

Undervalued

paragon909 wrote: »

£60 does seem a bit high for a GP letter.

My local GP charges about £10-£15 max! The GP doesn't actually charge, It's the practise manager who puts these charges in place.

Well then they have chosen to provide the service, in effect, at a loss.

There is a reason why just about any professional practice needs to charge out their fee earners' time at £200 and hour or more. Ultimately that it what it costs but the time they earn a decent salary, pay for support staff, professional registration and indemnity, premises etc.

w06

Not all travel vaccinations are free, it's those such as Hep A where the vaccination is protecting public (every one else) health by preventing you importing the infection and boosters of some of those that form the standard childhood vaccinations

GPs are private contractors running a business. You'd not expect a well trained and indemnified plumber to fix your boiler for free. It's the same, the charge is for both time and professional opinion. There are a small number of specific forms that have to be completed as part of teh NHS contract, but letters like this are private work.

For most things benefit wise the questions that the DWP want answering are not things that a GP has knowledge of, they don't know how you wash, dress, work etc. The former if anything is an occupational therapists role and the latter occupational health.

Cyclamen

Our GP also charges.

I simple letter e.g. a paragraph stating I cannot travel by bus is about £20 an in depth letter about £75 and a report answering questions up near £200.

As these are not NHS services and extra's I am asking for it seems reasonable to charge, and when I think about training and hourly charges for skilled people it seems reasonable.

However it was hard to find the money back when I first became poorly as I still had Mortgage, bills established when I had a wage and only sick pay. So I also understand the shock.

The GP surgery can wave the charge sometimes, or give you longer to pay. I turned up to collect a letter last year stating I couldn't use a taxi, train and another taxi to get to a hospital appointment expecting too pay. Reception told me there was no charge.. I even queried this as I have fears about being in debt, not paying bills.

You can get copies of any specialist, consultant letters posted you for free after appointments. These are useful for knowing whats going on but also as evidence.

You can ask a friend, relative, partner who knows you to write a statement of how things are.

The DWP will often write to your GP with a standard form. I think its more use to send your gp a short letter saying you are applying.. bullet point where you have difficulty and ask them to support you if any forms arrive. The DWP then pay the fee. As mentioned above a GP may not know how you got dressed, I've seen reports with 'unknown' written in the boxes. I would however do this with a letter rather than taking up an appointment.

Good luck with your application I hope you get the award you deserve

preciousillusions

Wow, I am very lucky I guess as my GP has written me many letters and never charged me a penny. I have a very good established relationship with him, though.

Loz01

We're so used to the free NHS I think people forget HOW pricey it is or how much it would be if we had to pay for every little thing like you do in America. £60 is a bit steep but in the grand scheme of things...?