Forms and Letters
Patients often require letters or reports to be contributed to by clinicians. Sometimes, patients book appointments for this purpose without advising the correct reason, and in these situations, clinicians are unable to carry out the request for a number of reasons.
If you need a letter/report/form/certificate or other type of written contribution from our practice, please take note of the guidance below.
If you are considering booking an appointment for this purpose, please let reception have details of what you need. You will be advised if an appointment should be booked or if further information/consideration may be required before we are able to assist you.
In many cases we will charge a fee because this would be classified as private work. We will inform you of the exact fee once you have submitted your request and the associated documentation. If you agree to the fee we will make arrangements for the completion of the work. Depending on the type of work, this may or may not require an appointment. You can view our Non-NHS Service price list
If an appointment is necessary, as in the case of HGV/PCO medicals, we require the full fee in cash in advance before we will book your appointment. If you do not attend your appointment, you will forfeit 50% of the fee. In the case of reports where payment is by a third party, such as medicals for fostering, we require a telephone call of confirmation on the day of the appointment without which we will cancel your appointment.
Private work is normally considered routine work and will be given appropriate prioritisation. We will inform you the time-frame for completion. Please make your request at the earliest opportunity if you have a deadline. In some cases we may not be able to complete the work if you do not allow us enough time.
Make sure that the intended recipient of the letter has specifically requested it and that it will be of value to them in considering your specific request. Often it is better for you to ask them to write directly to us detailing what they need. This will save time and money where there is no specific requirement.
We do not and cannot guarantee your success with the recipient of the letter.
We will try to assist you but there may be occasions where we may have to decline to complete the work you request.
Further information we will require before processing your request:
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Completed consent form available from reception specifying the agency or body to whom you wish your medical details released.
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If it is a form that has been given to you – we will need it.
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If it is a letter you require, we would need as much detail as you can give us in writing (in order for us to complete the letter as best we can for you). This should include specific details of what the letter is for, to whom it is directed, why you need it, and what information you feel we need to include in the letter (particularly how your medical condition impacts on what you need the letter for). The doctor can only write what they knows to be true from your medical records, what you inform them of and their personal clinical knowledge of you.
Once completed, we will contact you immediately to collect. You can view our Non-NHS Service price list.
Requesting a letter from your GP
Patients request letters from their GP for several reasons and our doctors are frequently asked to provide private or ‘To Whom it May Concern’ letters or reports for third parties. The usual fee for a standard letter is a minimum of £30. Although more complicated letters or reports may attract a higher fee.
Why is there a charge?
The cost of these letters and reports are not covered by the NHS. They are completed during the GP’s own time and as such there is a fee payable. All letters require the doctor to take time to review a patient’s medical records to ensure that the information provided is correct, then the doctor must dictate the letter, and finally the admin team has to type and print it.
Timescales
Private letters and reports do not take priority over NHS work. Please allow up to 28 days for any requests to be fulfilled.
Content
We will not accept requests for ‘the doctor must write these exact words’. The GP will write what they know, supported by your medical record. Both the letter and the opinion they produce is final and you cannot request changes to be made. The GP has the right to refuse your request or provide alternative wording if they feel it is necessary.
If you insist on the GP changing your letter to suit what you think it should say, or if you want to dictate the contents, we will withdraw our offer to write the letter. Please remember, the doctor is not obliged to write a letter for you at all, as this is not an NHS requirement.
Appropriate requests
We will try our best to help you, here are a few examples of suitable and non-suitable requests
Examples of appropriate requests:
- Fitness to travel or if you are having to cancel a holiday
- Confirmation of medical conditions and / or medication (this could be a summary print out)
- Letters for mitigating circumstances, school, universities, employers or courts, etc.
Examples of requests we cannot fulfil
- Confirmation of address, ID or residence (we have no way to verify this)
- Countersigning passport applications
- Letters to the Council / Housing requirements (specialist housing teams can see elements of your care record if relevant to your case)
- Letters stating something that is not supported by your medical record
Are you requesting a letter to support your benefit claim?
If you are requesting a letter to support your benefit claim, you may stand a better chance of success following the guidance given on the website below rather than by submitting a GP letter – appeals succeed based on comprehensive evidence. If more information is required regarding your health / medical conditions, the organisation who you have applied for benefits from will write to us directly asking us specific questions they have.
