In line with British Medical Association (BMA) guidance, we charge for certain non-NHS letters, reports, and certificates.
These requests often come from insurance companies, employers, or patients directly and are not funded by the NHS. Fees cover the administrative and clinical time required to complete them.
As non-NHS work is not part of our core NHS contract, we must prioritise NHS care. We aim to complete all requests within 15 working days of receiving payment, but this may vary depending on demand.
Some requests may require an appointment or records from PCSE, which can take several weeks. Please allow enough time when submitting your request.
How to Request a Letter or Report
- Submit your request via AccurX – You’ll need to complete a short questionnaire about your request. Most preferred for letters.
- Email: LAMCCG.binfieldroad@nhs.net
Most preferred for forms as you can attach it.
- Front Desk
Most preferred for forms as you can hand it in.
Our Medical Reports Team will review your request and confirm whether we can provide the report.
You’ll receive an invoice by email (valid for 7 days). Please ensure your email address is up to date and check your spam/junk folder.
Work will begin only after payment is received.
If payment is not made within 7 days, the request will be cancelled and must be resubmitted.
Please note: Our doctors can only provide letters or reports which are factually accurate based on your medical records. They cannot modify them based on individual preferences or requirements. If you request changes to letters or reports which do not match your medical records, your request will not be actioned.
Frequently asked questions
“Why do I have to pay?”
The preparation of these letters or reports is not covered by the NHS. The letters/reports/forms are completed outside of NHS tasks and as such there is a fee payable. All these tasks require the doctor to take time to review a patient’s medical records to ensure that the information provided is correct, the letter/report/form then has to be generated and sent to the patient and/or third party.
“How long will it take?”
Private letters/reports/certificates etc. do not take priority over NHS work and hence may take some time to prepare. Please allow at least 30 working days for reports from receipt of payment and be aware that these are not regulatory SLAs and depending on workload, it may take longer.
“I need it today/tomorrow/next week/sooner”
In genuinely urgent cases, we will do our best to meet your deadline; however, we cannot promise this and expedited letters may incur an additional fee. Please ensure you leave enough time for your request and submit it as soon as possible.
“I only need the doctor’s signature”
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.
To complete even the simplest of forms, 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.
“I need an amendment to the letter I’ve received”
If an amendment to a letter is required, please contact us.
Please note that depending on the type and complexity of your request we may charge you an additional fee.
“The doctor has to write these exact words…”
We are very sorry, but we usually cannot accept requests for the doctor to write the letter in a specific way. The doctor will write what they know is supported by your medical record and reserve the right to refuse your request or provide alternative wording.
