Paying for referral letters from GP?

[summerbreezer]

Hi all,

I have recently been referred by my GP for some treatment with a psychologist. As I have private health care through work, I have found my own professional. However the insurance company asked that I get my referral letter from my GP before they will authorise the work.

I attended a week ago for the appointment and have just returned to pick up the letter, only to be told by the bloody rude receptionist there is a £25 fee!

When I asked for the reasons, they said that it was because it was private rather than NHS treatment. I find this confusing as I saw my GP on the NHS.

Has anyone else had any experience of this? I am thinking of complaining to the Practice Manager and asking for the reasoning behind the imposition of the fee. Unless of course this is a universal practice and I am just kicking up a fuss over nothing.

Thanks in advance!

"Strictly speaking no nhs resources should be used for private work. The secretary, stationery, equipment are all off limits. I'd wager that there's a pretty good argument for an initial private gp appointment if that's your intention from the beginning. Should an nhs appointment be used to make a private company money for instance?"

I might go to my GP because I'm concerned over symptoms and s/he does not know what's the cause and/or feels an expert opinion is needed. Am I hell going to a private GP 'just in case' I need a potentially private referral!

I've never paid for a referral if the Sr was going to do an NHS referral anyway. I would have thought it's only if they are doing something over and above what they would have provided for a NHS referral.

I find some of the assumptions here about Drs quite offensive. What a lot of twaddle. The majority of private patients have medical insurance, that is often funded by their employers, so they either have it or they don't. The idea of a doctor delaying treatment in order to pressure someone to go private is nonsense, and if it did ever happen, that would be grounds for a complaint to the GMC. To imply that it is common practice is ridiculous.

As far as I know, GP practices are private business and GPs are usually self employed. They have a contract to do NHS work but if they do work outside the NHS, then someone else has to pay for it.

Have seen a NHS GP several times with referrals to a private hospital. Never been charged for the letter

I think you all need to look at how GP surgeries work and who pays for what. You clearly don't understand how it all works

Interesting, thank you for all your views. So far, the only concrete reason I can see for charging is that the GP may refer your minor malady for private treatment in circumstances where your condition may not be serious enough for an NHS referral.

Sadly, my condition is more than serious enough for the NHS. .

I have been told that I need to take medication alongside the talking therapy. I am now afraid that if I will be told that I have to pay for the meds as well.

I don't think referral to a non-NHS service is part of NHS covered GP service.

In any case, referral to NHS services is now often done electronically, not through a hardcopy letter. Writing and printing the letter would possibly be a separate act that would not have happened had you gone with NHS referral.

Given that going private means the NHS won't have to cover your psychologist fees, YAProbablyNBU to think they should cover the letter. However GP offices are currently under a lot of monetary pressure, so if the NHS doesn't technically cover writing letters for private referrals, then it isn't that surprising that some GP offices have started charging for it.