Private Services
Abbeywell Surgery offers selected non-NHS services to patients.
We do not complete forms certifying fitness for specific activities (such as scuba diving, skydiving, marathon running) – an external private provider can help.
Please note all patients must be charged. We prefer payments to be made by card.
We respectfully ask that payment for non-NHS work is made in advance of completion of the work.
Please find our private services and charges below. Prices have been updated May 2026
Private Services request form
| Cost | VAT | Total | |
| To whom it may concern letter | £50 | £10 | £60 |
| Firearms certificate (new application) | £100 | £20 | £120 |
| Firearms certificate (renewal) | £50 | £10 | £60 |
| Short form (e.g. holiday cancellation form) | £75 | £15 | £90 |
| Long form or written report WITHOUT examination (e.g. private medical insurance claim form) | £125 | £25 | £150 |
| Medical WITH examination (e.g. employment, insurance, DVLA, adoption) | £150 | £30 | £180 |
FAQs
Why does my doctor charge fees?
The above charges are for services which are not covered by the General Medical Services contract and have to be paid as a private service. Our priority is NHS work. When your doctor is asked to give medical information about you in the form of a report, letter or certificate, the request starts a series of processes.
This takes time and is not always straightforward or simple to complete. Some of the information is not available easily and will mean the doctor has to sort and select the right information for the request.
The doctor must also establish who is funding this work and if it is not part of their NHS work, agree a fee for this.
Surely the work is paid for by the NHS?
Many patients see their doctor as the embodiment of the NHS with free care at the point of delivery, and this is correct, but not all work Doctors are asked to do is paid for by the NHS. GPs are self-employed and have to cover their time and other costs eg: staff, buildings, heating, lighting as all small businesses do. The NHS only pays for NHS work, anything outside of this must be funded by other means and this is why fees are charged. Non-NHS work is charged in line with British Medical Association guidelines.
What your doctor is signing
When your 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, they may have to check your 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.
Surely the work is paid for by the NHS?
Many patients see their doctor as the embodiment of the NHS with free care at the point of delivery, and this is correct, but not all work doctors are asked to do is paid for by the NHS. GPs are self-employed and have to cover their time and other costs eg: staff, buildings, heating, lighting as all small businesses do. The NHS only pays for NHS work, anything outside of this must be funded by other means and this is why fees are charged. Non-NHS work is charged in line with British Medical Association guidelines.
What if I am requesting a private service which the surgery are unable to help with?
You can contact a private GP, many of whom specialise in completing private forms and medicals. They can be readily found on the internet. We are unable to recommend specific providers.