Doctor was £25 cash for doing my fit to fly note

[PinkBump2022]

I’m going on holiday and since im passed 26 weeks I was told I need a fit to fly note. The dr said she will do this but wants £25 cash in exchange for the note.
is this normal to charge cash? I’m with the NHS in the uk and we never have to pay for things

That's so strange!! I would be uncomfortable with that, my midwife is lovely and just did mine for free.

Not unusual I don’t think - optional letters usually have a charge. Cash is a little weird, but the charge sounds normal.

It’s very normal in the UK to pay to have medically unnecessary forms filled in.

@Frankie2015 I just seen my midwife she said it has to be a Gp! Not sure why as she’s been caring for me the whole pregnancy and knows all the ins and outs so don’t see why a doctor who Iv never met should write the note

Charging is normal. Not sure about the cash bit, but given how infrequently GPs charge people, they possibly don't have the facilities to accept card. (Think we paid by cheque when we needed copies of our medical notes for DHs company).

Cash is a bit odd but that's the standard kind of charge isn't it for letters like that?

Dh is a solicitor and gets paid £5 in cash for each passport photo he signs.

It's normal

I’m sure they take other forms of payment!
it has to be a doctor due to certification legislation, and this is an unnecessary private certification - the NHS doesn’t fund your holiday requirements!
the doctor is at liberty to charge what she likes for private certification. £25 is very reasonable

It's basically a private letter, so normal to be charged for. The NHS no longer covers letters for unnecessary things like fit to fly

I agree with PPs, it’s normal for NHS GPs to charge for private services. I’m pretty sure £25 is what my GP charges for a sick note so seems reasonable for your letter.

You’re paying for her time. If she wasn’t writing your letter she could be doing a hundred other things.

It's a private letter and as such it's normal to charge. Given they probably don't do many, it's unlikely they'd have card machine.

Normal to charge, when I needed one for something different the receptionist said they didn't have a card reader so could take cash or cheque. Given I'm not sure where my cheque book is, or even if I still have one, it may well now be cash only.

It’s normal. Just pay it.

Not the point of the thread, but can’t believe your DH charges friends to countersign a passport!

What do you think could be the probelm?

Not unusual

I'm UK, so NHS, and I had to pay for a Drs letter when travelling to Thailand. It was to confirm my genuine need to be carrying a small amount of steroid tablets (for asthma) just in case I was stopped or questioned about them.

It's a normal request to pay 👍🏼

The NHS doesn't pay GPs to write the letters. It's a service they can charge for because it's effectively private care.

@HDready I dont think he charges for passport photos now to think of it but he certainly does to witness legal documents like a divorce decree, or a certified legal copy of a birth or marriage certificate. Why shouldn't he it's his time in work he's giving up and as a legal aid lawyer he doesn't get paid a lot

Thats a bargain. Much less cost than the time it would take in person hours. Sounds like the NHS is subsidising your trip or the surgery are taking a loss as an act of goodwill.

There's a whole list of things GPs can charge for because they're private care. The charges rarely cover the cost tbh. Insurance forms are a lot more expensive but they take forever.

Fit to fly letters have always been a private service… or at least 15 years ago, when our surgery did them they were private, even back then. And it cost £25 then as well! Nice to see inflation not at work, for once!
Most letters are private, same with medical reports.

Midwives can't provide fit to fly notes just like they can't prescribe medication. Also, totally normal to be charged for these letters. My surgery only accepts cash too.

I think it's normal. Just pay it x