GPs cannot charge for treatment but can charge educational and other
bodies for examinations, reports and certificates. The relevant clauses
in the current GMS contract are:
484 The Contractor may demand or accept a fee or other remuneration—
484.1. from any statutory body for services rendered for the purposes
of that body’s statutory functions;
484.2. from any body, employer or school for a routine medical
examination of persons for whose welfare the body, employer or school
is responsible, or an examination of such persons for the purpose of
advising the body, employer or school of any administrative action they
might take;
484.6 for attending and examining (but not otherwise treating) a
patient-
484.6.2. at the request of a commercial, educational or not-for-profit
organisation for the purpose of creating a medical report or
certificate, or
484.6.3. for the purpose of creating a medical report required in
connection with an actual or potential claim for compensation by the
patient;
--
Robert Lewis MRCGP AFOM
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On 3 Oct, 2005, at 17:16, Kate Venables wrote:
> Dear all - can anyone help resolve a matter of discussion between
> myself and a colleague? Especially any of you who have worked as a
> GP. I understood that it was part of a GP's terms and conditions that
> no fee was chargable for work which related to the diagnosis of
> potential occupational disease in their patients. I have a feeling I
> first heard this from Sherwood Burge in relation to the diagnosis of
> potential occupational asthma. My colleague understands that there is
> such a regulation but that it relates only to those patients of a GP
> who work for the NHS.
>
> The reason why this came up is in the context of university
> occupational health - our main occupational diseases are occupational
> asthma, WRULD and stress (if you count stress). I have been at times
> surprised to be asked for a fee for a letter when I have initiated
> communications with a staff member's GP about, say, occupational
> asthma. Most GPs don't charge, in my experience, for letters which
> are part of an exchange about a potential occupational disease. But
> some seem to do so - and I don't think they should!
>
> Best wishes - Kate
>
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