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
Hbh17 · 03/08/2022 21:57

Of course it's normal! It costs time & money to provide, and it's only medical treatment that is (usually) free at the point of use. Sounds cheap to me!

Plumtreebob · 03/08/2022 22:04

Maybe when people talk about how we should privatise the NHS this should make them realise how much they will have to pay. A letter for £25, think of what an appointment would cost or heaven forbid an operation.

saraclara · 03/08/2022 22:13

Plumtreebob · 03/08/2022 21:48

@saraclara What I said is true. It says it clearly on the government website. I say no to clients for this reason.

The list of professions is very long.

Show quote history

You need to be able to identify them. So having had them on your professional books isn't good enough if you don't actually know them. But a doctor or a teacher who has actually known you throughout that period and could easily pick you out in a line up is fine. It's proof of identity that matters here.

saraclara · 03/08/2022 22:18

Ah. I see that now, a doctor is not allowed unless they know you as a friend. Odd. That doesn't apply to any other of the professions on the list. Maybe doctors got fed up of being asked and begged the govt for a way out!

Plumtreebob · 03/08/2022 22:19

@saraclara It specifically says a doctor must be a good friend. Maybe have a read of the rules.

Plumtreebob · 03/08/2022 22:20

@saraclara X-post. But I know none of my colleagues who’d take the risk for a client honestly.

LouLou198 · 04/08/2022 07:25

Quite normal. They charge £85 to fill out a cremation form when someone has died. They can also charge for signing passports.

littleducks · 04/08/2022 07:42

I don't understand the posters getting het up about it being cash only, how is that unprofessional? Consolidating bank transfers would be extra work and cash would keep costs down. Card payments incur a fee to the company for the machine and then there is the general maintained if machine etc which surgery might not want to deal with.

Writing the letter is no benefit to the practice, they are charging a reasonable rate. I would be tempted to just say no if faces with the kind of attitude from posters on here. A private medical appointment to get a private Dr to write letter would cost way more.

Algbu6 · 04/08/2022 07:53

littleducks · 04/08/2022 07:42

I don't understand the posters getting het up about it being cash only, how is that unprofessional? Consolidating bank transfers would be extra work and cash would keep costs down. Card payments incur a fee to the company for the machine and then there is the general maintained if machine etc which surgery might not want to deal with.

Writing the letter is no benefit to the practice, they are charging a reasonable rate. I would be tempted to just say no if faces with the kind of attitude from posters on here. A private medical appointment to get a private Dr to write letter would cost way more.

Pot kettle black. Which poster are you referring to because I said I don't know that is all. YOU and others have continued to shout down the thread and repeat numerous times what has already been stated.

Saggytrousers · 04/08/2022 08:01

They are so busy not seeing or speaking to their patients at the moment they barely have the time to print a standard letter.

Lapland123 · 04/08/2022 08:40

Saggy trousers

it must be your practice is short staffed
the remaining gps are working hard I assure you
the practice I attend are amazing
there is a workforce crisis in the health service as I am sure you are aware of. You don’t help by making nonsense comments.

Thinkingblonde · 04/08/2022 08:45

Absolutely normal. DH had to pay for a certificate to say he was fit to go back to work offshore after an illness, he’s paid for offshore medical examinations (£150.00)!
Being an NHS patient doesn’t exempt you from paying for the doctors time.

hewouldwouldnthe · 04/08/2022 08:52

It's normal. You pay for extras when travelling abroad. It's not an NHS necessity, it's a luxury. NHS is for basic healthcare.

PermanentTemporary · 04/08/2022 08:59

It's not a standard letter in that sense. They have to look at the records and make a decision as to whether the patient is actually, you know, fit to fly. I used to work as a GP's secretary. These jobs take some time, in a day that is crazy, crazy busy.

2bazookas · 04/08/2022 09:00

OUR GP's have always charged for additional certification.

Plumtreebob · 04/08/2022 09:10

@Saggytrousers - My GPs have been seeing patients on the phone and in person throughout the pandemic and all services such as smear tests resumed as quickly as possible. It still takes 3+ weeks to get an appt but I live in a large town and GPs are thin on the ground so I don’t blame them for that.

littleducks · 04/08/2022 09:54

That was my first post on this thread so I haven't been shouting anyone down?

Icedbannoffee · 04/08/2022 09:56

Good for them, additional work for someone's holiday on top of unmanageable workloads seems fair that they charge. If you can afford a holiday and the pricey insurance you'd need for flying/being abroad when pregnant then im sure £25 is manageable.

percypig · 04/08/2022 09:59

It is completely normal, and the cash will be because most GP practices don’t have a card reader. The GP will be recording this and similar payments (for HGV medicals etc) and should be paying tax on it. You’re paying for their time, for something which isn’t medically necessary but is to facilitate your own plans, £25 is totally reasonable.

lucylooareyou · 04/08/2022 10:16

Dont pay it!

I had this fiasco when i went abroad, GP telling me they wont do it - midwife needs to. Midwife telling me GP needs to do it, Receptionist telling me i may have to pay to get the GP to do it (makes no sense, why pay for a piece of paper)

In the end i printed off the fit to fly letter off the airlines website (Jet2 in my case) and took it to my midwife appointment the week before i flew and got her to sign it.

Lapland123 · 04/08/2022 10:22

Lucylooareyou
if you read the rest of the thread, you’ll understand why you saying ‘it makes no sense, why pay for a piece of paper’ is what actually makes no sense.
i suppose you work for free though

liveforsummer · 04/08/2022 10:24

Yes you have to pay for these things as it's not medical care/treatment. They probably don't have card readers though and cheques aren't really a thing anymore for many so I guess cash is the only option.

Tessasanderson · 04/08/2022 10:26

I had reason to need a fit to ..........letter recently from our doctor. He was amazing in explaining his reservations, went away and checked with their own indemnity insurance (It wasnt a straightforward one) and then came back to me with a wording that was sufficient. He charged £25 for the letter and i appreciated every second of his busy time.

Its not just the 2minute writing of the letter you are paying for. If a professional person is putting their name to something, there is an onus of responsibility for it that must be valued.

Icedbannoffee · 04/08/2022 10:27

lucylooareyou · 04/08/2022 10:16

Dont pay it!

I had this fiasco when i went abroad, GP telling me they wont do it - midwife needs to. Midwife telling me GP needs to do it, Receptionist telling me i may have to pay to get the GP to do it (makes no sense, why pay for a piece of paper)

In the end i printed off the fit to fly letter off the airlines website (Jet2 in my case) and took it to my midwife appointment the week before i flew and got her to sign it.

God forbid something had happened to you or your baby your midwife would have had some very serious questions asked. If they were happy to sign the form more fool them, doesn't mean other healthcare professionals are so careless.

PermanentTemporary · 04/08/2022 10:51

Jesus Christ @lucylooareyou that was a moment of bullying from you that I hope you don't normally do. And if you'd needed to use your travel insurance I'd guess that letter would potentially have invalidated the insurance and you'd have been in the hole for the bills. Or the midwife would have been - she risked her entire professional status and ability to practice.

I'm going to have a look at airline websites now to see what they are encouraging their customers to do.