Private Work and Non-NHS Requests – Practice Guidance
What is Private (Non-NHS) Work?
Private work refers to services that fall outside the NHS contract. GP practices are not contracted, funded, or resourced by the NHS to provide these services. As a result, such work is undertaken at the discretion of the practice.
Examples of private work include, but are not limited to:
- Private medical letters
- Insurance or employer forms
- Fitness to travel or fitness for work letters (non-statutory)
- Supporting letters for housing, schools, or legal matters not required under NHS regulations
Requests for Private Letters
Requests for private letters are not part of NHS-funded clinical care and therefore fall outside the NHS contract. GP practices are not obligated to provide private letters, and we are within our rights to decline such requests.
Where private work is agreed:
- Letters and forms will be completed solely using factual information already documented in the patient’s medical record
- GPs cannot provide opinions, assumptions, or information not supported by the medical record
- Patients cannot request a specific GP to complete private work
Capacity and Clinical Priority
GP time is primarily dedicated to providing essential NHS medical care. Completing private work, particularly writing letters, takes GPs away from the care of patients with medical needs.
For this reason:
- Private work may be declined due to workload or staffing pressures
- Requests may take longer to process than NHS services
- Approval of one request does not guarantee future requests will be accepted
Fees
As private work is not NHS-funded, fees may apply. Any applicable charges will be communicated in advance. Payment is required before work is undertaken.
Our Right to Decline
The practice reserves the right to refuse requests for private work, including private letters, at its discretion. This includes requests that:
- Fall outside the NHS contract
- Require GP opinion rather than factual medical evidence
- Cannot be supported by the medical record
- Would significantly impact the delivery of NHS services
Summary
- Private letters and forms are non-NHS services
- GPs are not contracted or obligated to provide private work
- Requests are completed only from existing medical records
- Patients cannot choose a specific GP
- The practice may decline requests to protect NHS patient care