GP letter charge?

[AkiBoo]

Hi,

I've just been to my GP surgery and spoke with the receptionist about me asking a letter to be sent from my GP to my consultant urging my operation to be carried out sooner.

The receptionist told me that there will be a charge for this as it is outside of routine practice and also GP needs to do this outside their hour.

I don't understand this at all, as far as I see it, I am a NHS patient who need to be treated sooner than later as my condition is deteriorating.

Has anyone who asked for this letter need to pay for it?

Thank you!

[carolineeballard]

Yes as far as I am aware you usually have to pay for letters written by your GP.

I have been told a similar thing but as I was paying for my letter my doctor just happened to be passing and he told me to put my purse away. So it depends what sort of relationship you have with your GP. Might be worth getting an appointment to see him/her?

[AkiBoo in reply to carolineeballard]

Thank you very much for your reply, carolineeballard!

Ummm, it might be down to the GP then...

[Pinklady123]

I haven't had to pay for a referral letter but I had to get my GP to fill a form in for my health insurance and they wanted to charge £40 for doing it and the doctor did it as part of my appointment. They reduced the charge to £20 in the end but it only took her about 30 seconds to fill it in. Very frustrating xx

[AkiBoo in reply to Pinklady123]

They make good money, don't they? I work in pathology department of NHS and found that private price is a lot more than NHS price, usually about 3 times more. The mentality of it is that it is not necessary to have it done privately - and thinks people who pays can afford such high cost!

Since I found it out, going to private put me off...