Private Fees

Three Chequers Medical Practice work with an NHS Digital accredited company called Lalu to complete Non-NHS and medical reporting work. Depending on the type of request you make, it with either be completed by Lalu or at the Surgery by one of our GP Partners. 

Once you have submitted your request for Non-NHS work you will be asked to complete a consent form. We take patient confidentiality very seriously, therefore we will not proceed with any requests from patients or third parties unless we have received a complete consent form.

Please allow one calendar month for all Non-NHS requests to be completed. If your request is complex and requires longer than one calendar month, you will be informed by the Practice.

What is Lalu?

Lalu is an NHS Digital accredited company, providing a specialist service to GP Practices called ReportSure through their secure digital platform, Lalu Care. They create GDPR-compliant medical reports to support a wide range of non-NHS requests. All reports are reviewed and signed off by a registered clinician.

Lalu helps GP practices improve data security, efficiency, and turnaround times when managing non-NHS medical report requests.

When you submit a non-NHS request, the ReportSure team will create a medical report using information from your medical record. You will have the opportunity to review the report before it is shared with the relevant third party, should you wish to do so.

Lalu has developed the Lalu Care platform to work securely with GP practice systems, enabling the extraction of relevant medical information in a safe and compliant manner. This allows patients to access and share their medical information when required, while ensuring that practice data remains protected.

If you would like to speak to a member of the Lalu team regarding your medical report or have any questions about how your data is being processed, please contact Lalu directly:

 

Private Charges – Why do GPs charge fees? Your questions answered.

Isn't the NHS supposed to be free? 

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions: Prescription charges have existed since 1951, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged. 

Sometimes the charge is made to cover some of the cost of treatment, for example, dental fees. In other cases it is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example, medical reports for insurance companies, claim forms for referral for private care and other letters and forms which require the doctor to review the patient's medical records.

 

Non NHS work – Forms

You can now submit requests for any of the following Non-NHS work requests via our online consultation platform SystmConnect. Please click here to submit your request

  • Council Tax reduction medical certificate

  • Aircrew/Controller Medical Attendants report

  • Travel Insurance Claim Form

  • Shotgun/Firearms license renewal/application

  • Ofsted Health Declaration

  • Almshouse Application

  • Kinship and Fostering Team Request from Wiltshire Council

  • Private Medical Claim/Information request form

  • Bus Pass Renewal

  • Proof of life certificate

  • Blue Badge application letter of support

  • PIP appeal letter of support

  • Housing letter of support

  • Exam/School support letter

  • Court Hearing support letter

  • Subject Access Request

  • Proof of Medical History Report

  • Army Medical Report (PHCR/RGMD)

  • HGV/Taxi Medical

Following submission of your SystmConnect request, depending on the type of Non-NHS work you are requesting you may be contacted by a member of our Patient Service Coordinators Team to request addittional forms/paperwork. These forms can be found below.  

Please download and return either by email to three.chequers@nhs.net or to the Reception team at any of our surgeries.

Please return in person and ensure that you have brought two forms of identification (Photo ID and proof of address).

 

Surely the doctor is being paid anyway?

It is important to understand that GPs are not employed by the NHS. They are self employed, and they have to cover their costs - staff, buildings, heating, lighting etc - in the same way as any small business. The NHS pays the doctor for specific NHS work, but for non-NHS work the fee has to cover the doctor's costs.

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The government's contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients. In recent years, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:

  • Certain travel vaccinations
  • Private medical insurance reports
  • Holiday cancellation claim forms
  • Referral for private care forms
  • Letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:

  • Medical reports for an insurance company
  • Some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency
  • Examinations of local authority employees

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his/her patients. GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time.

I only need the doctor's signature - what is the problem?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true.  Therefore, in order to complete even the simplest of forms, the doctor needs to check the patient's entire medical record.  Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor, with the General Medical Council or even the Police.

What will I be charged?

The BMA recommends that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and how much. It is up to the individual practice to decide how much to charge, but the BMA produces lists of suggested fees for the Doctors to use as a guideline.

At Three Chequers Medical Practice we have a list of fees displayed at all our receptions, please speak to the Practice staff for more information.

In the past we have completed reports and forms before payment has been made, but have sadly found there to be too many occasions when the doctor has given up the time to do the work, but the fee has not been forthcoming. Therefore, for all reports that are completed by the Practice, the fee must be paid in advance - at the time of the request for the letter or the form to be completed is made or when the appointment for a medical is booked.        

The fees for reports produced by Lalu are set by them based on BMA guidelines - all fees are approximate and the patient will be invoiced by the company directly once MediData have received the paperwork.

THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS.

What can I do to help?

Not all documents need signature by a doctor.  For example, you could ask another person in a position of trust, who may be willing to sign a passport application free of charge (Teacher, Accountant, etc).

You can complete the form to the best of your ability in pencil, so the doctor just has to verify your entries against the information we hold.

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