Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

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

134 replies

PinkBump2022 · 03/08/2022 11:20

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

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Ducksinthebath · 03/08/2022 13:39

RavenPaws · 03/08/2022 13:26

@AppleBottomRats or a client he's been working with for 2 years. He doesn't need to know them for 2 years to do a certified copy of a marriage certificate, death certificate or to witness a signature on a divorce

Don’t you know he should be giving up his time for free?! Clearly he’s one of these legal aid fat cats we read so much about. Discusting! 🙄

etulosba · 03/08/2022 13:43

I must be lucky. My GP has never charged me for travel related letters.

bigbluebus · 03/08/2022 13:45

GP surgeries in the UK are not run by the NHS. They are private businesses who are contracted to provide certain NHS services for which they receive payment from the NHS. Anything outside of that contract is a private service and can be charged for by the individual GPs at whatever fee they like. Asking you to pay cash was presumably to avoid complications by putting it through the practice books. Whether that is appropriate or not is down the the practice partners and HMRC but is has nothing to do with the NHS.

The sooner the masses realise that GP surgeries are a private business the sooner people will understand why healthcare is in the state it's in.

TheBatwoman · 03/08/2022 13:49

Yeah I had to have a letter from my GP for extenuating circumstances for assessments while I was pregnant and quite unwell. Think I paid more than that too.

tedgran · 03/08/2022 13:52

Not NHS business, I used to work for a GP and he would always charge for these. Also, you got away lightly, cost me 94 euros in Gran Canaria for a fit to fly letter after I hurt my wrist

user1497787065 · 03/08/2022 13:56

If you can pay for a holiday you can pay a GP for a non essential letter.

I think there should be more charges for non-essential items that people think should be free of charge within the NHS.

Ginfilledcats · 03/08/2022 14:03

Where are you going? I flew to majorca and back at 27/28 weeks pregnant and didn’t need a fit to fly, nor was I asked to present one.
who’s told you you need one

MyGirlDaisy · 03/08/2022 14:08

My son had to pay for the GP to complete a form for Disabled Students Allowance so paying for Fit to Fly seems reasonable to me.

easyday · 03/08/2022 14:08

Yes our GP charges for these sorts of letters. Totally normal.

RavenPaws · 03/08/2022 14:20

@Ducksinthebath haha apparently so! Grin

passport123 · 03/08/2022 14:21

  1. this isn't an NHS service and so it's chargeable. Think of it as part of the cost of the holiday

  2. If your doctor is naive enough to use the words 'fit to fly', I'd bite their hand off for it before they change their minds. We should just be giving factual information and not saying someone is fit to fly, as we aren't insured to do so

I'm an NHS GP.

Tinadecember · 03/08/2022 14:39

blows my mind how this is a chargeable service. If you are less than 36 weeks with a single pregnancy and not deemed high risk then it's a 2 minute job. Most airlines have a template that you can fill in yourself and it simply requires a signature from a GP.

£25 for a signature??

I have just flew and Ryanair didn't ask either way to see a fit to fly note despite having a template on their website to be completed.

goingtotown · 03/08/2022 14:48

Ask for a receipt.

Johnnysgirl · 03/08/2022 14:49

Marmite27 · 03/08/2022 11:22

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

Totally.

gogohmm · 03/08/2022 14:54

It's cash because they don't have a machine I suspect, plus it goes straight to the gp as it's a private service. I've heard some wanting £50!

daisyjgrey · 03/08/2022 15:01

My sister had to get a fit to fly and the midwife did it...

Roselilly36 · 03/08/2022 15:11

Quite a normal charge. I had to have a private letter for some reason, can even remember what for now, I paid cash when I collected if from reception.

alnawire · 03/08/2022 15:15

goingtotown · 03/08/2022 14:48

Ask for a receipt.

Why does Op need a receipt?

GoodThinkingMax · 03/08/2022 15:16

Quite normal. You also need to pay for a "Fit to work" notes, and for vaccinations/inoculations against malaria etc when you're flying to areas with those tropical diseases.

alnawire · 03/08/2022 15:19

Tinadecember · 03/08/2022 14:39

blows my mind how this is a chargeable service. If you are less than 36 weeks with a single pregnancy and not deemed high risk then it's a 2 minute job. Most airlines have a template that you can fill in yourself and it simply requires a signature from a GP.

£25 for a signature??

I have just flew and Ryanair didn't ask either way to see a fit to fly note despite having a template on their website to be completed.

It's not just a signature though. No GP is going to sign someone fit without checking their medical records first.

summerlovinvibes · 03/08/2022 15:22

Charging for additional things like fit notes when it's to do with holidays etc is completely normal for GP in the NHS. Cash is also normal for them, they don't have card machines, and normally take cash for stuff like this. Normally you'd hand it over to reception when you check in, they might ask you to fill in a form.

Plumtreebob · 03/08/2022 15:25

@Tinadecember - the NHS is there to provide healthcare free at the point of service. Needing a letter to go on holiday is not healthcare. I think we need to be grateful for how much we do get for free.

Plumtreebob · 03/08/2022 15:27

@RavenPaws - I assumed friends as you have to personally know someone to sign a passport photo, a professional relationship does not count. I’m certainly not friends with my clients as it would be an independence threat maybe it’s different for solicitors.

gothicsprout · 03/08/2022 15:53

It's not NHS work, so GPs can charge for it.

Anyone who is being charged for a standard Fit Note though (e.g. for the purpose of giving evidence to your employer that you are not fit to work), should not be. GPs are already paid for each of these forms they complete by the DWP, as part of the terms of their contract.

Lapland123 · 03/08/2022 19:53

Tina December

you are calling it a 2 min job but the GP has to check medical records and ensure the patient is indeed able to travel, take responsibility for that

even if it did just take 2 mins, no one is entitled to other people’s time for free

£25 is cheap