Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the fee chargeable by NHS general practices for providing medical information to patients for the purposes of other public authorities was last reviewed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

NHS England contracts with general practitioners (GPs) as independent providers of medical services for the National Health Service. Under the terms of their contract, GPs are required to provide certain medical reports or complete certain forms for which a medical report is required by other legislation, for example, the Social Security Administration Act, free of charge to their registered patients.

Outside their contractual requirements, GPs also offer a variety of other services which successive governments have regarded as private matters between the patient and the GP. In such cases, decisions on whether to charge a fee and the level of the fee charged are at the GP’s discretion.

Where legislation requires a medical certificate, or report, the relevant Government Department enters into arrangements with the British Medical Association on the level of fees which will be paid to GPs for providing the required information. Such arrangements are formalised through the provisions of the GP contract.

As these are private arrangements between GP practices and other organisations, the Department does not review the level of fees.