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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed at GP practice for charging £20

108 replies

Booper13 · 17/05/2011 20:24

I'm 30 weeks pregnant and am taking a flight on Thursday. The airline require a confirmation from GP or midwife that I am medically fit to fly. I phoned GP surgery to ask about this and was told to come in and see GP. I did this and without examining me or doing any BP check or anything GP said he would dictate a letter and I could collect it today. When I went today I was told it would be £20. I was not advised either when I phoned or saw the GP that there would be a charge for this, so was quite surprised. Is this normal practice? Obviously I don't want bad relations with the surgery but I just wondered if this has happened to others.

OP posts:
Nazilya · 20/05/2015 21:47

Hi ! Could you tell me please how long does it take to get The Fit to Fly form from GP ? Can I get it the same day or the day after tomorrow ? Or does it take longer ? In my case I'm very healthy and I don't have any complications and issues with pregnancy I'm 31 week already . I've already booked an appointment with my GP and I have 5 days left 2 of them are weekends so Basicaly I have 3 days left till the flight date .thats why I'm wondering can I get it till the flight date ? Hope I could get it within 2-3 days , but I would be very grateful for an accurate information who had already have an expirience in it and was in the same situation ? Many thanks !

DoJo · 20/05/2015 22:17

Nazilya - probably not the best place for advice as this thread ended in 2013, but I think you will need to speak to your GP surgery as it will really depend on how busy the GPs are and what their workload is like. I would call your surgery first thing and ask them if there is any chance they will be able to do it asap. Happy holidays!

electionfatigue · 20/05/2015 22:19

I need a letter to say that my 8 y.old is fit - for him to participate in a TV show, and that's £35. Totally unreasonable for a piece of paper.

Glenshee all these letters come with a degree of medicolegal risk. If I sign that, and your child comes to harm during the filming, the TV company could sue me. If I say you are fit to fly and you get ill on the flight, the airline could come after me for the cost of the emergency landing. That's what the cost is for.

My litigation insurance costs nearly 2 months salary. We live in a litigious world and these are not just simple signatures.

chickenfuckingpox · 20/05/2015 23:10

i think they should have told her the charge on the phone so she was aware she is not at the surgery therefore she cannot read the signs on the wall (and who reads those anyway)

GiddyOnZackHunt · 20/05/2015 23:12

Zombie thread

2rebecca · 20/05/2015 23:13

ZOMBIE start your own fecking thread

RedSoloCup · 20/05/2015 23:14

Yes I got charged for a fit to fly letter when I was pg and I wasn't even asked for it but I couldn't take the chance.

Littlemonstersrule · 21/05/2015 07:18

YABVU, doctors on the NHS should charge more for things like this as they are private matters.

ErinBlockerBitch · 21/05/2015 07:20

It's normal practice.

ConfusedInBath · 21/05/2015 07:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Archer26 · 21/05/2015 07:32

I don't think YABU- my GP has filled in/written various letters for me and not charged. I'd be mad if they did but sadly I do know it happens to others.

ConfusedInBath · 21/05/2015 07:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VivaLeBeaver · 21/05/2015 07:36

Yabu.

I've just had to pay for a letter for the travel insurance for sick dd. Dr had already seen her several times. But signing the form would have taken five mins which is an appt. I don't expect the tax payer/nhs to fund that.

Trickydecision · 21/05/2015 07:56

Having been referred to a consultant regarding knee trouble, I asked our GP if he would give me a letter confirming I was fit to ski, in case I had a further injury and insurance refused to pay up. He happily did this. No charge. They are a helpful lot at our practice.

devon004 · 21/05/2015 08:01

Yes, yabu. They should have told you tbf op. Although my relatives I Ireland have to pay for every single appointment and all her cancer treatment so weare very fortunate in the Uk.

Nolim · 21/05/2015 08:12

Ime charging for this kind of letters is standard.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 21/05/2015 08:15

Slightly off topic but Dh needed a medical for his HGV licence last year. At the GP it would cost £120 iirc as they said it would take 40 mins. Because he couldn't get an appt he ended up seeing a private doctor and it was £35! He was expecting lots of paperwork seeing as the GP had said it would take 40 mins but it he was in and out in ten minutes as it was a basic eye test, BP and height and weight. So I genuinely don't understand how the GP could charge so muchConfused

PeppermintCrayon · 21/05/2015 15:30

YABU but £20 seems a lot. My surgery charges £10 for letters.

bungmean · 21/05/2015 15:47

Why do people get so het up about resurrecting old threads? It seems to be unique to mumsnet. Genuine question.

electionfatigue · 21/05/2015 15:47

If a GP does the HGV medical we have to go through all the old notes and that can take a lot of time (depending on how much medical history there is)

Ringovandingo · 21/05/2015 16:28

Yabu it's non nhs work!

You're pretty lucky it's been done today aswell, it's up to two weeks at the surgery where I work

Ringovandingo · 21/05/2015 16:30

Whoops zombie!

holidaysarenice · 21/05/2015 16:39

Do those of you who are claiming on holiday for travel insurance due to illness etc realise that you can add this charge onto your claim?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 21/05/2015 19:28

Elect - thanks for replying, you're obviously a doctorSmile it really takes 40 mins to read through someone's notes? The private doctor didn't need notes at all Confused

VivienScott · 21/05/2015 20:22

I had to pay £20 for a letter to say I was too sick to sit an exam. My GP didn't examine me (it was on the back of an out of hours doctors appointment) and at the time I was a single mother living (in part) on benefits.