Non-NHS services we provide
In line with the British Medical Association guidance, we charge for the completion of some non-NHS medical reports, letters, and certificates. Typically, these requests come from insurance companies, employers, or from our patients directly and include the types of letters, reports and certificates that are not funded by the NHS. This work does not form part of our NHS contract and as such, we charge for these services to cover the cost of the administrative and professional time required to complete them.
As this work is not a contractual obligation and we must prioritise delivery of our NHS care, we aim to but may not always be able to complete your request within our timeframes. In some cases, an appointment may be required prior to a report being actioned, or we may need to request records from PCSE which can take several weeks, please factor this in when making a request. These are not regulatory SLAs (Service Level Agreements) and we may need longer to complete requests, so please leave enough time for these requests to be completed, but we will aim to complete:
- Medical reports/certificates/forms – we aim to complete these in 30 working days from receipt of payment;
- Letters – we aim to complete these in 10 working days from receipt of payment;
A detailed table of reports and letters that we provide is outlined below, although this is not exhaustive. Our prices are reviewed regularly against British Medical Association Guidance and are subject to change.
| Report Type | Fee to complete |
| To Whom It May Concern Letter Straightforward certificates of fact | £30 |
| Fitness for gym | £30 |
| Student unfit to take exam | £30 |
| Private Certificates/Claim Forms: Accident or sickness insurance certificate – short certificate of incapacity without examination for patient to claim under accident, sickness insurance and holiday cancellation insurance claim. | £50 |
| Freedom from infection certificate (e.g. for school, travel or employment) | £50 |
| Validation of private medical insurance (PMI) claim form, to support a claim for benefit in connection with private medical insurance, or completion of a pre-treatment form. | £50 |
| School fees and holiday insurance certificates | £50 |
| Fitness for travel | £50 |
| Holiday cancellation insurance claim | £50 |
| Vaccination certificate | £50 |
| Fitness for travel examination & report | £150 |
| Detailed Medical Report: Written report without examination, providing a detailed opinion and statement on the condition of the patient | £150 |
| Proforma Reports: Employment related ones (Army, Police) | £90 |
| Shotgun Licence | £200 |
| Report on a pro forma, no examination (e.g. 20 minutes) | £90 |
| HGV and Taxi Medicals – DVLA full medical | £150 |
| DVLA certificate only | £48 |
| DWP/Government Forms – Housing report | £0 |
| DS1500 (factual report in connection with UC/ESA/PIP/DLA/AA for terminally ill people) | £0 |
| Sure Start Maternity Grant | £0 |
| Disability Student Allowance | £30 |
| Blue badge/Freedom pass – Blue badge report | £30 |
| Blue badge report and examination | £90 |
| Freedom pass | £30 |
| Adoption/Fostering Medical – Childminder Health Form | £80 |
| OFSTED report (to become a childminder) | £75 |
| Occupational Health: Requests for GP input from Occupational Health/Employee | £150 |
| Standard Insurance GPR | £150 |
| Insurance Targeted – Questionnaire targeted reports | £175 |
| Clinical Trials | £150 |
How to make a request:
- Please submit an E-consult
- Please select “admin” and then the most appropriate option.
Once you have completed the details required, our team will review your request and contact you if we need any more information. Please be aware that you may require an appointment with a clinician and we will not be able to start the request until this has been done. Please leave enough time to cater for this, if required.
Our admin team will then contact you and arrange payment. Once we’ve received your payment, our team will process your request.
Please note that the minimum turnaround time between receiving your eConsult and the admin team contacting you is 48 hours. If an appointment is required to process your request, the average waiting time for a routine appointment is 2 weeks. As mentioned above, please send in your request allowing for the above time scales.
Services we don’t provide
We reserve the right to not complete some non-NHS reports/certificates/forms. When you submit a request for a report/certificate/form to be completed and it is not something we can provide for you, a member of the support team will be in touch to let you know. There are a few services that we are unfortunately unable to provide including:
- Scuba diving forms: please see https://www.ukdmc.org/ website for an assessment of fitness to dive.
- Acting as a referee for a passport application.
- We will not provide a letter for court unless the court or solicitor writes to us requesting with your signed consent, who we will invoice. Please provide your solicitor with our admin email if needed: swlicb.ecmcadministration@nhs.net
- Marathon certificates: You should ask a private sports medicine specialist to complete these forms.
- We do not provide character references.
You do not need a medical letter or report for PIP. Please complete the forms to the best of your knowledge, no proof is required. We will be asked to confirm the medical details.
Frequently asked questions
“Why do I have to pay?”
- The preparation of these letters or reports is not covered by the NHS. The letters/reports/forms are completed outside of NHS tasks and as such there is a fee payable. All of these tasks require the doctor to take time to review a patient’s medical records to ensure that the information provided is correct, the letter/report/form then has to be generated and sent to the patient and/or third party.
“How long will it take?”
- Private letters/reports/certificates etc, do not take priority over NHS work and hence may take some time to prepare. Please allow at least 10 working days for letters and 30 working days for reports from receipt of payment and be aware that these are not regulatory SLAs and depending on workload, may take longer. If it’s required sooner than that, it will be reviewed on a case by case basis and may attract a higher fee in order to be expedited.
“I need it today/tomorrow/next week/sooner”
- In genuinely urgent cases, we will do our best to meet your deadline; however, we cannot promise this and expedited letters may incur an additional fee. Please ensure you leave enough time for your request and submit it as soon as possible.
“I only need the doctor’s 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. The signature is a reflection of professional standing and reputation. To complete even the simplest of forms, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors’ regulatory body) or even the police.
“I need an amendment to the letter I’ve received”
- If an amendment to a letter is required, this needs to be done by the clinician who wrote the letter. Please send an e -consult outlining the issue and they will make the decision on the amendment. There is usually no extra charge for this but only if the request is within reason and you may be charged an additional fee.
“The doctor has to write these exact words…”
- The doctor will complete the form or letter using a form of words that they are comfortable stating. The doctor will write what they know is supported by your medical record and reserve the right to refuse your request or provide alternative wording.
Please note: Our doctors can only provide letters or reports which are factually accurate based on your medical records. They cannot modify them based on individual preferences or requirements. If you request changes to letters or reports which do not match your medical records, your request will not be actioned.