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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is disgusting - GP charging for form

487 replies

FrostedFancy · 21/12/2023 13:39

GP surgery insist I must pay £40 for completion of a form from school to request online learning for my DD (14) who is suffering from MH issues due to being diagnosed with a serious health condition.

AIBU to think this is absolutely disgusting to profit from a child with medical condition and mental health issues needing access to an education?

Form literally would take 5 minutes to complete.

OP posts:
Playdoughcaterpillar · 21/12/2023 13:41

It's just standard for any non NHS work I'm afraid. Primary care is on it's knees. I would be directing my anger to the school for demanding a form in the first place!

Goldenpashmina · 21/12/2023 13:41

Totally standard for them to charge for completing forms

Verv · 21/12/2023 13:44

And it takes literally five minutes to see a patient if you're not tied up with filling out forms.

Charging is standard practice, not an issue.

Original poster
FrostedFancy · 21/12/2023 13:53

For a child though? It’s not for something like a medical sign off for an activity, it’s for them to access their education.

I understand charges for adults.

OP posts:
Thementalloadisreal · 21/12/2023 13:54

What’s the difference for a child vs an adult? The GP still fills the form in

Savedpassword · 21/12/2023 13:55

How much profit will the GP make?

Alargeoneplease89 · 21/12/2023 13:55

Do you claim dla for the child?

MirrorBack · 21/12/2023 13:55

School is the problem, not your GP.
why do they need a form? Do they disbelieve you? You have no other medical evidence such as records of appointments or letters?
imagine the workload of every school wanted special forms for everything, the GP is probably discouraging this

MintJulia · 21/12/2023 13:56

Your GP is a private business, not part of the NHS. They need to charge for their time. It's standard to charge for forms. Ours charges £50 per form.

IncompleteSenten · 21/12/2023 13:56

Yabu I'm afraid. It's not an NHS service.
I think we're all so used to medical services being free at the point of use that it's a shock when something isn't.

Is it that you can't afford the £40 or is it the principle? If the former could you see if there's any other way to get the information they need?

Gnomegnomegnome · 21/12/2023 13:57

Surely your anger should be directed at the school?

uncomfortablydumb53 · 21/12/2023 13:57

It's standard to charge for completing paperwork for evidence or eg blue badge
It's £40 yes, but will be valuable for DD.
That's how I would look at it

bumtrumpet · 21/12/2023 13:57

What happens if you don't complete the form. For example if you couldn't afford to? Would they not allow your DD to access education? I think this is a school issue, not a gp issue, and I'd be complaining as far up the chain as I could with the school

BitOutOfPractice · 21/12/2023 13:59

GP’s have always charged for forms

Scirocco · 21/12/2023 14:00

Totally standard. Any non-NHS work like this needs to be paid for.

The form may look like it would only take 5 minutes, but it would likely take longer than that. It's an important form relating to the education and health of a child registered with that GP. The GP has a responsibility to ensure it's completed accurately so that a) the people reviewing it have the most accurate information, and b) if something were to go wrong, their decision-making can be justified and defended. To do that, the GP will probably need to take a lot longer than 5 minutes to access and review your child's healthcare records, consider how the information contained within the records relates to the questions on the form, make any necessary enquiries (eg if there's any uncertainty they may want to clarify things with any treating specialist), and complete the form.

All of that is time that isn't being spent on core NHS work. The core NHS work still needs to get done, so the GP will probably need to stay later at work, too.

£40 for a report isn't much, and I would imagine it's a report you want to be as accurate and thorough as possible. It's not profit at the expense of a child. It's payment (at a pretty low rate) for a private service for the benefit of that child. There's a difference.

Londonrach1 · 21/12/2023 14:00

Always had to pay for this sort of work. I certainly remember being charged 20 plus years ago for similar. It's not NHS work. Yabu.

Babybearissleeping · 21/12/2023 14:00

Why do school need a form?

NeverTrustAPoliceman · 21/12/2023 14:00

Our GP surgery has a very comprehensive price list clearly displayed in Reception. It is absolutely acceptable for them to charge for work like that.

RafaistheKingofClay · 21/12/2023 14:01

How many forms do you think is reasonable to fill in before they start charging? Your form on its own might take 5 mins but you aren’t their only patient and you aren’t the only patient with a form.

As far asI’m aware the school could provide learning without a form from the GP so be annoyed with them if you are going to be annoyed with anybody.

Snowpaw · 21/12/2023 14:01

So imagine a GP had 50 of those forms to complete - they should work for free all that day to complete them? You're paying for their clinical time.

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 21/12/2023 14:03

Are you Sarah Vine?

Pifful · 21/12/2023 14:04

I would gather all your letters, copies of hospital letters with the diagnosis on and copy to school as evidence.
It's normal to pay for GP letters.

HorMon · 21/12/2023 14:04

This work is not covered by the NHS.
So you are asking the GP to do something no-one else is paying them for. So who should they ask to pay them other than you?
Or the school should pay.

MrsAvocet · 21/12/2023 14:04

As others have said, completely normal for anything that is outside of the NHS contract. Can you imagine a solicitor writing a letter for you for free because it's only going to take them 5 minutes?

HamstersAreMyLife · 21/12/2023 14:16

Totally normal