Patients often require letters or reports to be contributed to by clinicians. Sometimes, patients book appointments for this purpose without advising the correct reason, and in these situations, clinicians are unable to carry out the request for a number of reasons.
Please note that we do not write supporting letters for housing matters. The local authority (the Council) must request any information directly.
If you need a letter/report/form/certificate or other type of written contribution from our practice, please take note of the guidance below.
- If you are considering booking an appointment for this purpose, please let reception have details of what you need. You will be advised if an appointment should be booked or if further information/consideration may be required before we are able to assist you.
- In many cases we will charge a fee because this would be classified as private work. We will inform you of the exact fee once you have submitted your request and the associated documentation. If you agree to the fee we will make arrangements for the completion of the work. Depending on the type of work, this may or may not require an appointment. You can view our non-NHS medical reports/examinations price list.
- If an appointment is necessary, as in the case of HGV/PCO medicals, we require the full fee in cash in advance before we will book your appointment. If you do not attend your appointment, you will forfeit 50% of the fee. In the case of reports where payment is by a third party, such as medicals for fostering, we require a telephone call of confirmation on the day of the appointment without which we will cancel your appointment.
- Private work is normally considered routine work and will be given appropriate prioritisation. We will inform you the time-frame for completion. Please make your request at the earliest opportunity if you have a deadline. In some cases we may not be able to complete the work if you do not allow us enough time.
- Make sure that the intended recipient of the letter has specifically requested it and that it will be of value to them in considering your specific request. Often it is better for you to ask them to write directly to us detailing what they need. This will save time and money where there is no specific requirement.
- We do not and cannot guarantee your success with the recipient of the letter.
- We will try to assist you but there may be occasions where we may have to decline to complete the work you request.
Further information we will require before processing your request:
- Completed consent form available from reception specifying the agency or body to whom you wish your medical details released.
- If it is a form that has been given to you – we will need it.
- If it is a letter you require, we would need as much detail as you can give us in writing (in order for us to complete the letter as best we can for you). This should include specific details of what the letter is for, to whom it is directed, why you need it, and what information you feel we need to include in the letter (particularly how your medical condition impacts on what you need the letter for). The doctor can only write what they knows to be true from your medical records, what you inform them of and their personal clinical knowledge of you.
Once completed, we will contact you immediately to collect.
