Since when did you have to pay to see NHS GP?!!

[SpecialOPs]

Dd was a passenger in a car at the weekend which was rear ended at traffic lights.

She was fine at first then got symptoms of whiplash and has very painful shoulder, neck and headache. She works at a PC and it's agony to sit in her chair so has had to take most of this week off.

Rang GP this morning to see if she could get some stronger pain meds and a note saying she should WFH next week rather than travel into London.

Receptionist said she needed to pay £23.50 before a GP would speak to her! DD said that can't be right, receptionist insisted so DD said she wouldn't pay it. I rang back later and it was confirmed,

Apparently this is because they will be the first to see her after an RTA? I said would A&E have refused to treat her until she'd paid then if she'd been rushed there with more serious injuries? She said she didn't know.

AIBU to think this is an outrage!

It was the right advice though. It was the OP who was wrong. Whether is is a note, a letter or treatment is irrelevant - it was because it was an RTA, but the OP didn't seem to understand that people were explaining this so she decided to shout at them instead.

This. Get over the counter painkillers and don’t trouble the GP? If you want the note for something that wouldn’t normally trouble a GP then expect an admin fee.

Mind you, this all sounds like a way to actually get to see a GP. Phone and say you've had a RTA, pay your money and then admit you wanted to see them about something else. They've had their money after all. However, I guess if that were possible it's a loophole that was closed ages ago!

OP, your daughter should liaise with the owner of the car that was hit, as they will presumably be making a claim against the other driver for the damage to their car plus any other expenses and injuries they may have suffered.

It sounds as if it's likely your daughter will need physio which certainly won't be easily available on the NHS, so her potential claim is quite high.

I posted on MN about a month ago saying my GP had sent out letters saying their practice is now private and an appointment would be £25 and no one would believe me!!

If they have done this, they are no longer an NHS practice. They must have handed back their NHS contract, which will either have been given to another local practice or the patient list will have been disbursed (shared) between several other practices.

Either way, you will still be entitled to free NHS care. If you look on the NHS website, it will help you find which practices cover where you live.

I hope your dd is using a cervical collar, OP.

I hope she isn't. It has been known for 20 years that they slow down healing and increase the risk of long-term symptoms.

But she told them wants a note to WFH, so it is for the note?

They gave the wrong advice

How does this work with excess. People dont have zero excess, so she wont 'get it back on insurance' because unless the other person is at full fault, she will have to pay her own excess which could be a couple of hundred pounds which isnt going to cover 20 odd quid

Ive never heard of this and think its outrageous

Of course people can have zero excess. But that is nothing to do with being injured as the result of an RTA.

Standard to be charged following an RTA. I’ve had this twice - once as a passenger, and once as the driver. (Neither times was I at fault.)

Both times we received bills, which were dealt with via insurance. If she wasn’t at fault, and the claim is being dealt with by the driver, she should pass the hill to them, and they will arrange for her to be refunded. It will be paid by the other driver’s insurance.

When I was a passenger, I was taken to A&E with suspected broken ribs, and a lot of bruising. I received an invoice a couple of weeks later, which I passed to my friend. She submitted it as part of the insurance claim to the other - at fault - driver. It meant I didn’t have to pay directly on that occasion. The insurers dealt with it directly.

So, in my experience, she may need to pass the GP/physio/whomever, and reclaim it. Make sure she gets a receipt.

She can self certify for the first week anyway.

I hope she isn't. It has been known for 20 years that they slow down healing and increase the risk of long-term symptoms

I stand corrected

Mine doesn’t nor does any other GP I’ve ever heard of.

I got rear ended at a roundabout 2 years ago. My gp didn't charge. In fact I saw him a few times. Although I wasn't asking for any paper work. He also told me they don't recognise whiplash anymore due to false claims. I had torn a muscle in my shoulder but was always honest that I could move it but it hurt. I also had to see a doctor from insurance company to claim for injury so that was nothing to do with my doctor

Just catching with this thread as had work to do!

Just to be clear both DD and I (when I rang for clarification) were told clearly by the receptionist that the GP would not speak to her until she'd paid the £25. 30 ( she said that amount not £21.30. There was no mention of a bill being sent at all.

DD actually rang expecting for a GP callback, as they're all triaged and she would have got a call back either telling her to go in or a call from GP, so she could ask for advice, if the GP could prescribe any stronger painkillers and for a fit note advising that she not travel and WFH for next week. This is certainly doable if you have ever seen one. Fit notes are not chargeable and GP can put recommendations for getting back to work.

According the NHS website, a GP can charge for EXAMINING. a patient involved in an RTA. GP hadn't decided they needed to examine her at that point as she didn't get past the receptionist! It also says car driver nothing about passengers.

So receptionist expected DD to go down to surgery, pay the fee and would then have had to try to get through again tomorrow to see if the GP wanted a telephone appointment or for her to go in.

On what planet is that reasonable?

If isn't. I'd complain to the practice manager.

This was my experience when I was rear-ended a few year's ago.

I'm just wondering whether the receptionist is being very strict.
By that I mean that GP practices are all private but the majority buy in to an NHS provider contract. Maybe injuries relating to a RTA are to be settled via insurers , hence the services of a GP would be covered via insurance. A bit like a vet , where you pay up front then get insurance back.
I'm prepared to be corrected on this .

It’s a fee for the letter. They charge for letters. If you hadn’t requested that no fee.

Even if you are miffed about it and it is wrong surely you’d pay anything to make sure she’s ok. I would have booked into see a chiropractor. It’s funny how we all pay for sky, Netflix, phones, etc but get annoyed at paying for our health.

From the BMA Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, the first doctor to provide emergency treatment to the victim of a road traffic accident is generally entitled to charge a fee:

• A fee may be levied in respect of each person treated


• Mileage is also payable in excess of two miles

Sorry I’ve not read the full thread (just OPs replies) but I found this v useful in explaining why the charge: metro.co.uk/2015/11/28/why-did-my-doctor-charge-me-20-after-a-car-accident-5531441/amp/

basically to cut down on fraudulent whiplash claims.