Housing/Benefit Letters

Park Crescent Health Centre is committed to supporting our patients. All requests for letters for benefits, council or any other third parties, we will only complete with a formal request from the third party.

Please note all requests from the third party will require the patients formal consent.

We will only complete factual responses. We are not allowed to give an opinion. If in doubt we will refuse to complete the request and may issue a copy of medical records instead with your consent.

Be aware we charge for any requests and copies of records and requests can take up to 28 days.

Housing Applications

If you are requesting or appealing for a council home for health reasons, you do not need a doctor's letter.

The council will write to us, in confidence, if further information is required.

GPs receive frequent requests for medical letters and reports in support of hosing applications from a variety of sources - the local authority, housing associations, directly from patients from patients via citizens advice bureau. The arrangements for seeking GP reports and for payment vary from local authority area to local authority area, and even when clearly agreed are often not implemented by local authority staff. However all requests should come via the Housing Association and not the patient.

Information in support of an application based on health grounds should be supplied by the applicant using a form provided by the housing department and should not require any input from the GP/ practice.

Only if additional information is required should the Housing Department Medical Officer directly request it from the applicant's doctor, preferably using a standardised form, provided the patient/ guardian has given written consent. The medical officer should seek information which is only available to the GP, for example:

• Diagnosis
• Severity of the illness
• Medication 
  
  

Doctors are often required to write reports or provide certification to organisations that fall outside the agreed and negotiated fee for the NHS. In these circumstances they are entitled to make a reasonable charge for providing them. The British Medical Association (BMA) give guidance on what fees should be charged. Reception will inform you of the required fee. All fees must be paid prior to the paperwork being completed.

Please be aware that in certain circumstances we may not be able to provide you with the requested letter and in that eventuality your payment will be refunded in full.

We will only be able to provide factual information that is held within your medical records.

The surgery cannot prioritise private work over provision of NHS services so please be aware that we usually aim to complete all requests within 3 weeks. We will contact you when your letter is ready for collection.

Professional Charges for Non-NHS Work

To Whom It May Concern Letter - £25.00

Bus Pass Letter - £25.00

School/University Letter - £25.00

Carer’s Permit Paperwork - £25.00

Medication On Flight Letter - £25.00

Private Prescription - £25.00

Gym Cancellation Letter - £30.00

Occupational Health Form/OFSTED - £40.00

Travel Cancellation Certificate - £40.00

Private Insurance Claim Forms - £50.00

Firearms Licence Forms - £70.00

Reports we do not charge for

Council tax exemption forms

DSA Student Finance forms

Medical Reports/Letters we are unable udertake or provide

Support letters for DWP/PIP/UC claims – Assessors write to the surgery should they require further information from your records.

Housing Letters – These requests must come directly from a housing department

Capacity Assessments

Signing of Power Of Attorney forms

Signing of Passport Applications

Fit to exercise/parachute/scuba dive forms – You will need to use a Private GP service

Occupational Health Assessments

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