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Some of the doctors may carry out private work classed as non nhs- medical examinations and prepare reports e.g. for life insurance, pre-employment medicals. The surgery no longer covers Firearms Licences.

There is a charge for these examinations and you can get details of the charges from our receptionist. You do not require an appointment within surgery opening times as this work is not part of the clinicians normal daily duties and is carried outside of the surgery appointments.

If you need to have bloods taken as part of this process there will also be a separate charge for these as we are charged by the hospital.

Why do GP's charge fees for medical reports and letters?

The practice has a primary duty of care to provide services for the management of patients who are ill. Writing letters and reports (i.e for insurance providers, adoption and fostering, driving (DVLA), housing and benefit appeals, schools, health clubs and employers) all falls outside of the NHS GP Contract. When medical reports are provided they are a private service and as such, have to be completed in the GP's own time outside of their paid NHS working hours.

These services incur a fee and we set our fees with reference to the British Medical Association guidance on private fees.

What if I cannot afford to pay a fee?

The practice recognises that many of our patients may have significan financial difficulties would not wish to increase their financial stress. For this reason the practice recommends that patientsd get online access to their medical notes. Patient can also request a copy of their notes via a Subject Access Request ( SAR). There is no charge for this level of support however copies will be provided electronically to the patient.

What if I only need a doctors signature?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report. it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true. Therefore in order to complete even the most simple of forms, the doctor needs to check the patients entire record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor, with the General Medical Council or even the Police.

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reportd takes the GP away from the medical care of their patients. Most GP's have a very heavy workload, which can add up to 60hours a week and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of time. In addition non NHS work must be undertaken outside of NHS contracted time.

Please ask one of our receptionist for pricing.

Wallsend PCN Statement on Shared Care Prescribing with Private Providers

 Please note Wallsend Primary Care Network (Hadrian Health Centre, Village Green Surgery, and Bewicke Medical Centre) do not offer "Shared Care Prescribing" with private providers, unless they are directly providing services for the NHS. This means that if you see a private provider and they prescribe certain medications, your GP will be unable to take over prescribing.

"Shared Care Prescribing" medications include (but are not limited to) ADHD medications, medications used for autoimmune conditions, and hormones used in gender dysphoria. These are higher risk medications that require the "Shared Care" of both the GP and the Specialist for ongoing prescribing, to ensure the prescribing is safe and effective.

We understand this may be disappointing, however we need to be sure the medications we are prescribing are safe and are monitored appropriately. NHS guidelines state we should not be entering "Shared Care Prescribing" with private providers. This is for multiple reasons, including the fact that care cannot be "shared" between the NHS and private organisations, and that there is a risk of unsafe prescribing if you have been discharged from the private provider (as the specialist will no longer be involved).

If your private provider wishes to prescribe a "Shared Care Medication", they will need to continue prescribing this – your GP will be unable to prescribe this medication on the NHS. If you wish for your medication to be prescribed on the NHS, you will need to be assessed by an NHS clinic and they will then discuss "Shared Care Prescribing" with your GP, if they feel it is appropriate. The wait for this assessment and discussion will depend on the clinic's waiting list.