You and Your General Practice

When and how can you contact your general practice?

Your general practice is open from 8.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday (check online for extended access hours)

Throughout these hours you, or your carer on your behalf, can:

Visit the practice
Call them
Go online using the practice’s website or the NHS App.

You can choose the way you contact your practice based on what is best for you. Some practices may have longer hours or may ask that you contact them via phone or in person for urgent queries.

What if the practice is closed?

If you need urgent help for your physical or mental health when the general practice is closed, and you cannot wait until they open, go online to 111.nhs.uk or call 111. They will tell you what to do next.

What if it’s an emergency?

If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, go straight to A&E (Accident and Emergency) or call 999.

What happens when you contact your practice to request an appointment?

Whether you make your request by phone, on-line or visiting your practice, you may be asked to give your practice some details so that they can assess what is best for you based on your clinical need. The practice team will consider your request for an appointment or medical advice and tell you within one working day what will happen next.

This could be:

An appointment that day or a subsequent day
A phone call that day or a subsequent day
A text message responding to your query
Advice to go to a pharmacy or another NHS service.

Your practice will decide what is best for you based on your clinical need.

Your practice cannot tell you to just call back the next day.

Who might help you?

You might be offered a face-to-face appointment or a phone call with a GP or other member of the practice staff, like a nurse or pharmacist.

If you have a carer, they can speak for you with your consent.

You can ask to see a preferred healthcare professional, and the practice will try to meet your request, although you might have to wait longer for that person to be available.

It can be helpful to see the same healthcare professional, particularly if you have a long-term health condition.

From what age can you see a GP on your own?

If you are 16 or older, you can make and go to appointments by yourself.

If you are under 16, you can still ask to see a GP without your parent or guardian. The GP will decide if that’s appropriate for you.

What if you need extra help?

If you do not speak English, you can ask for interpretation services in your preferred language when you make an appointment.

If you need extra help like longer appointments, a quiet space, wheelchair access, or information in a different format, tell your practice and they will try to help.

How do you choose a general practice?

You can:

Call or visit a local practice
Use Find a GP online.

If you want to change to a new general practice, you can do so at any point. Most people have a few choices nearby.

Do you need ID or proof of address?

No, you do not need ID, an NHS number or proof of address. It can help the practice if you do, but it is not needed to register or see a GP. You can also register with a practice if you are homeless.

Can a practice say no to registering you?

They must write to you within 14 days if they say no and explain why. A practice can only say no for a good reason, like if you live too far away or their patient list is closed. For example, they cannot say no for reasons such as immigration status, not having a permanent address, or for reasons connected with other characteristics protected under equalities legislation.

Can you choose which hospital or clinic you are referred to?

If your GP needs to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases you have the right to choose the hospital or service you’d like to go to. You can get further information on your right to choose on the nhs.uk website.

If you are new to the UK

You can still register with a GP. It’s free to use and your immigration status does not affect your right to register with a GP.

If you are away from home but still in the UK

If you are away from home for more than 24 hours (but less than 3 months), you can register as a temporary patient near where you’re staying.

You can also change your nominated pharmacy so you can get your medicine nearby. You can do this by contacting your practice or via the NHS App.

Do general practices charge for anything?

NHS GP services are free. Sometimes, if you ask the GP to do private work (like writing a letter for insurance), they may charge a fee.

How should everyone be treated?

The practice should treat everyone fairly, kindly and respectfully. Likewise, you should also treat staff with respect. The practice can remove patients from their list if they are violent or abusive to staff.

To learn more about your rights, you can read the NHS Constitution.

How can you help your general practice?

Be prepared: Before an appointment, think about writing down your symptoms, what you are worried about and what you want to talk about.
Be on time: Being late for an appointment or being unavailable for a timed call-back can affect other patients.
Cancel if needed: If you can’t go to your appointment, tell the practice as soon as you can, so that they can offer it to someone else.
Use the NHS App or website: If you’re confident using smart phones or computers, you can book or cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and see your test results online.
Turn on notifications: If you use the NHS App, turn on notifications so the practice can contact you more easily. Please keep an eye out for messages.
Order repeat medicines on time: Make sure you ask for repeat prescriptions on time, so you don’t run out, and only order what you need.
Join the Patient Participation Group: You practice will have a group of patients who can offer feedback on the services it delivers. Your practice website should explain how you can join.

How can you give feedback or raise concerns?

If you want to give feedback, raise a concern or wish to make a formal complaint, ask to speak to the practice manager. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, contact your integrated care board (ICB) – the local NHS body that oversees GPs practices. You can find your local integrated care on the NHS England website.

You can also give feedback about your practice to your local Healthwatch. Their job is to make sure NHS leaders and other decision-makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. Healthwatch is independent and impartial, and any information you share with them is confidential. To find your local Healthwatch visit the Healthwatch website.

Pure Health & Wellbeing – Primary Care Pain Service

Non-NHS Services

Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges.

Examples include the following:

Medicals for pre-employment, sports and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)
Insurance claim forms
Passport signing
Prescriptions for taking medication abroad
Private sick notes
Vaccination certificates

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.

Why GP Practices sometimes charge fees

Surely the doctor is being paid anyway?

It is important to understand that many GPs are not employed by the NHS.

They are self-employed and they have to cover their costs – staff, buildings, heating, lighting, etc – in the same way as any small business. The NHS covers these costs for NHS work, but for non-NHS work, the fees charged by GPs contribute towards their costs.

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The Government’s contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients, including the provision of ongoing medical treatment.

In recent years, however, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work.

Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to ensure that information provided to them is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their own NHS patients:

accident or sickness certificates for insurance purposes
school fee and holiday insurance certificates
reports for health clubs to certify that patients are fit to exercise

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions:

life assurance and income protection reports for insurance companies
reports for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in connection with disability living allowance and attendance allowance
medical reports for local authorities in connection with adoption and fostering
Prescriptions for drugs used overseas eg malaria tablets etc

Do GPs have to do non-NHS work for their patients?

With certain limited exceptions, for example a GP confirming that one of their patients is not fit for jury service, GPs do not have to carry out non-NHS work on behalf of their patients.

Whilst GPs will always attempt to assist their patients with the completion of forms, for example for insurance purposes, they are not required to do such non-NHS work.

Is it true that the BMA sets fees for non-NHS work?

We suggest fees that GPs may charge their patients for non-NHS work (ie work not covered under their contract with the NHS) in order to help GPs set their own professional fees.

However, the fees suggested by us are intended for guidance only; they are not recommendations and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates we suggest.

Can a fee be charged by a GP for the completion of cremation forms?

It is important to differentiate between death certificates (which must be completed free of charge) and cremation forms.

Cremation forms, unlike death certificates, require doctors to make certain investigations which do not form part of their NHS duties.

A deceased person cannot be cremated until the cause of death is definitely known and properly recorded. Before cremation can take place two certificates need to be signed, one by the GP and one by another doctor.

Cremation form 4 must be, as stated, completed by the registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased during their last illness.

Form 5 must be completed by a registered medical practitioner who is neither a partner nor a relative of the doctor who completed form.

A fee can be charged for the completion of both forms 4 and 5 as this does not form part of a doctor’s NHS duties.

Doctors normally charge these fees to the funeral director, who, generally passes on the cost to the family. Doctors are also entitled to charge a mileage allowance, where appropriate.

The fees for cremation forms 4 and 5 (which are agreed with the National Association of Funeral Directors, NAFD, the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors, SAIF, and Co-operative Funeralcare) are available on our website.

Can VAT be charged by GPs for some non-NHS services?

Since 1 May 2007, certain medical services have become subject to Value Added Tax (VAT). This follows a European Court of Justice Ruling in 2003, and subsequent changes to VAT rules introduced by HM Revenue & Customs.

The original Court ruling made it clear that, where the main purpose of a medical service is the ‘protection, maintenance or restoration of the health of an individual’ then that service should continue to be exempt from VAT. All health care provided either through the NHS, or the private sector, is therefore not subject to VAT.

However, where the purpose of a medical service is not, primarily, the treatment of a patient (for example, the completion of medical insurance reports by a doctor), the Court ruled that this service should be subject to VAT.

Such GP reports have been subject to VAT since 1 May 2007. In the UK this applies where a medical practitioner’s income exceeds the VAT registration threshold.

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his or her patients.

Most GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time, so many GPs find they have to take some paperwork home at night and weekends.

I only need the doctor’s signature – what is the problem?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true.

In order to complete even the simplest of forms, therefore, the doctor might have to check the patient’s entire medical record. Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor with the General Medical Council (the doctors’ regulatory body) or even the Police.

What will I be charged?

We recommend that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and what the fee will be.

It is up to individual doctors to decide how much they will charge, but we produce lists of suggested fees which many doctors use. Surgeries often have lists of fees on the waiting room wall based on these suggested fees. Doctors will also have to bear the costs of Insurance for working a GP including carrying out these Non NHS work .Insurance yearly costs per doctor may vary from £8000 to upto £25,000 per annum.

What can I do to help?

Not all documents need a signature by a doctor, for example passport applications. You can ask another person in a position of trust to sign such documents free of charge.
If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask your GP if he or she is prepared to complete them at the same time to speed up the process.
Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight. Urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this will cost more.

What type of report work doesn’t have to be done by my GP?

There is some medical examination and report work that can be done by any doctor, not only a patient’s GP. For this work there are no set or recommended fees which means doctors may set their own fees.

We offer guidelines only.

Travel Vaccinations

Due to irregularities in supply of travel vaccines we now recommend you obtain your vaccinations from a travel clinic.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below:

Europe & Russia	North America
Central America	South America
Caribbean	Africa
Middle East	Central Asia
East Asia	Australasia and Pacific

It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible – at least 6 weeks before you travel – as a second appointment will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations. These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your second appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

Travelling in Europe

If you are travelling to Europe the EU has published useful information for travellers on the European website.

Carpal Tunnel Service

Yorkshire Carpal Tunnel Service

The Yorkshire Carpal Tunnel Service has now been running since March 2013. In this time we have seen over 80 patients, who have come to see us to have their surgery performed.

We have two excellent consultants working alongside us, Mr Ajit Shetty and Mr Bernd Ketzer, who are both NHS Orthopaedic Surgeons. We also run the service with an experiences Scrub Nurse, Dave Spencer, and a HCA from the practice.

Patients are referred by their GP to the service using a letter and a scoring sheet. They are then contacted and booked into a clinic at either Askern or Mexborough, to have their surgery performed. We offer weekday and weekend appointments which help people that work.

The service has been extremely successful, and we welcome all new referrals.

Please find below a photograph of a Doncaster GP training session for Carpal Tunnel.

Skin and Community Surgery

Given the expertise present with the practice with conditions such as skin cancer and clinically indicated lumps and bumps in the body, the practice provides community surgery for its own patients and from the rest of the 29 practices in Doncaster who are able to make referrals (through healthcare professionals only) for their patients to be operated here.

Professor kumar is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edin) and trained as a breast and colorectal surgeon both in the UK, USA and France.

He is a surgical trainer for community surgery for the Royal College of GP’s and the University of Middlesex.

HCA Clinics

For Blood Tests, Blood Pressure, Weight Management, Dressings and Smoking Cessation Clinics please telephone for an appointment with our healthcare assistants.

Nurse Clinics

For Asthma Clinic, Diabetic Clinic, Heart Disease Clinic, Childhood Immunisations, Travel Immunisations, Smears, Contraception Advice, Flu Clinic then please telephone for an appointment with our practice nurse.

Cervical Smears

There is a recall system for women age 20-65. Results are sent to you by post. Do not be alarmed if you do not think you need a smear when called for – call and let us know.

The practice nurses will carry out cervical smears for the surgery.

Midwife/ Antenatal Clinic

By appointment to see the midwife.