Page 6 | To think this is disgusting - GP charging for form

JoyeuxNarwhal · 21/12/2023 15:50

queenofallqueens · 21/12/2023 14:41

lets invoice them for laundry for school uniforms too, since they insist on uniform

Show quote history

Maybe I should have added a smiley. It was tongue in cheek.

JoyeuxNarwhal · 21/12/2023 15:51

@FrostedFancy is this a private school?

Kitkat1523 · 21/12/2023 15:52

Totally normal…I would save your disgust for the school

MumblesParty · 21/12/2023 15:52

ATerrorofLeftovers · 21/12/2023 15:37

It shouldn’t be, if it’s within the scope of treating the child’s medical condition. In OP’s shoes I would have a poor opinion of any GP looking to profit from my child’s medical condition in this way.

Show quote history

Do you work for nothing? Just because something is linked to health, why should it be free? Vitamins are linked to health, but I don’t expect the chemist to give them to me for free?
Core services are negotiated and agreed on, and NHSE provides funding for those services and those services only. Are you saying that GPs should do work for free, just because they’re doctors?

littlebopeepp234 · 21/12/2023 15:52

It is completely normal. Completing these sort of forms are not NHS related and classed as private work for a GP. It is not just the fact it will take 5 minutes - it doesn’t, they have to go all the way through a patient’s medical records and answer specific questions which is time consuming, plus a lot of forms that GPs do sign make that GP legally responsible for the information they are signing to.

Menora · 21/12/2023 15:53

It’s actually a legal document too once the GP signs it, so they do have to do checks before signing anything as if the info is incorrect it could put them at legal risk. It’s more responsibility than anyone realises

stillplentyofjunkinthetrunk · 21/12/2023 15:54

charging is not necessarily unreasonable, £40 if it is a 5 min task seems a lot.

Supernova23 · 21/12/2023 15:54

Jesus, be thankful you don’t live in the United States then.

Whyyoulyingfor · 21/12/2023 15:55

How do you want the school to process it without a proper system in place? I.e a form. Why do people have to “direct anger” at any public service!? Everyone is so entitled and angry all of the time in this country.

GotMooMilk · 21/12/2023 15:56

You’re being very unreasonable. Just pay it.

betterangels · 21/12/2023 15:57

Completely standard where I am that you pay for doctors filling in forms. We also have free-at-point-of-service healthcare, but I needed a document filled in and signed to apply for the blue badge equivalent. There was a charge, which I expected.

Mumof2NDers · 21/12/2023 15:57

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.

I’m a dental nurse, we along with dentists can countersign passport forms. He nor I would ever dream of charging a patient for it. It does seem to be standard practice for GP’s though. I needed a letter for DS’s college to prove he was formally diagnosed with ADHD. I knew there would be a charge. I emailed with the request in April. He started college in September and they still hadn’t done it. I asked them if they could just print off any letter they had from CAMHS. They did it the same day at no cost to me

littlebopeepp234 · 21/12/2023 15:58

ATerrorofLeftovers · 21/12/2023 15:25

They’re being paid! It’s for an NHS patient they are prescribing treatment for. Like they would prescribe a med to be collected from the pharmacy. This is not an unknown or private patient. They’re paid to treat the NHS patients registered to their surgery.

Show quote history

It might be for a NHS patient but completing the form itself is not normal day to day treatment of patients for the GP and is classed as private and not NHS related work sorry.

Also as it is mental health issues the child will have most likely been referred to and seen by 3rd parties such as CAHMS / school and other services. Therefore not directly related to them being treated by the GP for that particular issue.

rainingsnoring · 21/12/2023 15:59

stillplentyofjunkinthetrunk · 21/12/2023 15:54

charging is not necessarily unreasonable, £40 if it is a 5 min task seems a lot.

It won't be a 5 minute task though. The GP will need to check the medical records properly and provide accurate information on a legal document. Regardless, it is a professional service.

MumblesParty · 21/12/2023 15:59

ATerrorofLeftovers · 21/12/2023 15:45

I don’t disbelieve you that they can charge for this. Nothing about the degradation of the NHS offer surprises me these days. They shouldn’t though.

I’m old enough to remember when if you needed this sort of thing you’d have to go for an appointment and they would write the letter and give it to you there and then. I thought it was a step forward that you now don’t have to take an appointment from somebody who is actually ill and in need of seeing a doctor, but it seems it’s been taken as an opportunity to charge extra for something that used to be seen as all part of the service. It leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, as I would like to think my GP would care about the treatment my child gets for their medical condition and it would damage my trust in them.

I’m a bit surprised by the general attitude of shrugging on this thread, but then we’re all being carefully conditioned to lower our expectations of the NHS more and more.

Show quote history

@ATerrorofLeftovers well if you’re old enough to remember those times, then you’ll be old enough to remember when the NHS wasn’t broken, and there were plenty of doctors. When I started as a GP trainee in 1993 the jobs were sought after, with many doctors applying for each place. Now there are vacancies unfilled for years. League tables, targets, QOF has led to an explosion of bureaucracy. Not to mention the ever increasing population. And litigation, and health and safety - people can’t cross the road now without the council requiring a certificate from the GP to confirm they’re fit to do it.
I too remember the days when we were warm and fuzzy and looked after every aspect of everyone’s life, just because we cared. But times have changed. And if I did all my forms etc for free, I would be working hours for nothing, literally not a penny. And even if I was prepared to do that, what would I pay the receptionists and admin staff with? Magic beans?

littlebopeepp234 · 21/12/2023 16:00

stillplentyofjunkinthetrunk · 21/12/2023 15:54

charging is not necessarily unreasonable, £40 if it is a 5 min task seems a lot.

It’s not a 5 minimum job, it can be time consuming as there will be specific questions asked on that form which means that the GP has to go all through the records, read lots of information on them and then check and double check before signing

Cakeandcardio · 21/12/2023 16:00

Savedpassword · 21/12/2023 13:55

How much profit will the GP make?

Well in my surgery the GP makes 100% profit as the receptionist let slip to my DH that she would pass the cash to Doctor X!! He had to ask for a receipt so clearly no tax etc paid on it. I don't disagree with it in theory but that's not right!

rainingsnoring · 21/12/2023 16:01

Mumof2NDers · 21/12/2023 15:57

I’m a dental nurse, we along with dentists can countersign passport forms. He nor I would ever dream of charging a patient for it. It does seem to be standard practice for GP’s though. I needed a letter for DS’s college to prove he was formally diagnosed with ADHD. I knew there would be a charge. I emailed with the request in April. He started college in September and they still hadn’t done it. I asked them if they could just print off any letter they had from CAMHS. They did it the same day at no cost to me

Show quote history

The passport rules have changed. You can only sign a passport form if you know the person as a friend/ colleague, not if you have met them in a professional capacity.
I agree that a letter from CAMHS should be perfectly sufficient and the school should accept specialist letters. I've already said so above.

pillof · 21/12/2023 16:01

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.

Not enough people know this!

ATerrorofLeftovers · 21/12/2023 16:02

MumblesParty · 21/12/2023 15:52

Do you work for nothing? Just because something is linked to health, why should it be free? Vitamins are linked to health, but I don’t expect the chemist to give them to me for free?
Core services are negotiated and agreed on, and NHSE provides funding for those services and those services only. Are you saying that GPs should do work for free, just because they’re doctors?

Show quote history

No, I don’t work for free. I work in an allied profession, seeing patients one to one. I practice privately and would carry out this sort of work as all part of the service, seeing it in the wider context of the treatment I provide for them. I care about the service and treatments my patients get and look to operate ethically, working in their best interest 🤷‍♀️

ATerrorofLeftovers · 21/12/2023 16:02

MumblesParty · 21/12/2023 15:52

Do you work for nothing? Just because something is linked to health, why should it be free? Vitamins are linked to health, but I don’t expect the chemist to give them to me for free?
Core services are negotiated and agreed on, and NHSE provides funding for those services and those services only. Are you saying that GPs should do work for free, just because they’re doctors?

Show quote history

No, I don’t work for free. I work in an allied profession, seeing patients one to one. I practice privately and would carry out this sort of work as all part of the service, seeing it in the wider context of the treatment I provide for them. I wouldn’t charge extra, unless it took a particularly long time. I care about the service and treatments my patients get and look to operate ethically, working in their best interest 🤷‍♀️

rainingsnoring · 21/12/2023 16:04

Cakeandcardio · 21/12/2023 16:00

Well in my surgery the GP makes 100% profit as the receptionist let slip to my DH that she would pass the cash to Doctor X!! He had to ask for a receipt so clearly no tax etc paid on it. I don't disagree with it in theory but that's not right!

Show quote history

That is clearly nonsense. Any money from private services would go into practice profits, from which they pay all their staff and all other bills. It doesn't go direct to the GP.

MumblesParty · 21/12/2023 16:04

Cakeandcardio · 21/12/2023 16:00

Well in my surgery the GP makes 100% profit as the receptionist let slip to my DH that she would pass the cash to Doctor X!! He had to ask for a receipt so clearly no tax etc paid on it. I don't disagree with it in theory but that's not right!

Show quote history

Most surgeries pool the money and it just goes into the practice account. Some surgeries have a system where the doctors get the money individually, but that’s rare. Either way, it is taxed. It would be logged in the practice accounts as would all other income.

MichaelFlatleyLordoftheDance · 21/12/2023 16:07

I absolutely understand your frustration; however, £40 for an important form is very reasonable considering what it's for (coming from an American who is used to spending thousands of dollars with insurance for minimal things). I definitely get you being frustrated, but this could be way worse.

MumblesParty · 21/12/2023 16:08

ATerrorofLeftovers · 21/12/2023 16:02

No, I don’t work for free. I work in an allied profession, seeing patients one to one. I practice privately and would carry out this sort of work as all part of the service, seeing it in the wider context of the treatment I provide for them. I wouldn’t charge extra, unless it took a particularly long time. I care about the service and treatments my patients get and look to operate ethically, working in their best interest 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

@ATerrorofLeftovers hang on, you practice privately but you expect GPs to work for free?! OK so say you were a private physio. One of your patients can’t make their appointment because their car is in the garage. Would you pay for them to get a taxi? Or go and pick them up yourself? After all, the taxi would get them to their physio appointment, so it’s related to their condition, for which you are treating them.