Policy on Medicals, Letters and Forms

The Riverside Practice is proud to offer quality care to our patients under the terms of our NHS contract. Unfortunately, General Practice across the UK is under severe pressure. Some types of work which have been traditionally done by GP’s is not actually NHS work and does not form part of the NHS contract.

In order to provide good NHS care, the doctors at The Riverside Surgery need to limit the amount of private (non-NHS) work they do. If you request non-NHS work, the request may be declined and you may need to consult a private doctor instead.

The following explains what The Riverside Practice does and does not provide. If you have queries about this policy please speak to the Practice Manager.

 

ITEMS WE PROVIDE FREE OF CHARGE

Fit for work certificates

AFTER a period of 7 days of self-certification for any illness/work absence, for the purpose of sick pay and benefits only, we can supply a Fit for Work certificate (commonly known as a sick note or MED3).

Following an admission to hospital it is the hospital discharging teams responsibility to provide you with advice about your return to work and provision of a fit for work certificate.

Prescription Charge Exemption certificates

If you fulfil the criteria as per the form, please complete and leave at reception to be completed by a GP

Referral letter to NHS or Private Hospitals

All referrals are dealt with by our secretarial team. If you have any queries, please speak to them directly rather than the GP.

 

ITEMS WE CAN PROVIDE FOR A FEE

Adoption/fostering medicals, HGV and taxi driver medical examinations

Please speak to our reception team who will advise you of any fee payable in advance and will book you for the appropriate appointment. At times, there may be a wait for these appointments. For HGV/ taxi medicals please ensure you have had the eyesight section signed BEFORE seeing the GP.

Travelling/flying with medication

All injectable medications in hand luggage will require a certificate. This applies to carrying certain other medication, even tablets, when travelling to certain countries. If in doubt consult your airline, travel agent or the embassy of the country you intend to visit.

Medical examinations for leisure activities

We MAY be able to complete medicals for activities such as flying/sailing but NOT for diving or dangerous sports. An appropriate appointment will be booked for you only when the GP has confirmed they are willing to complete the form and payment has been made.

Private sick notes

If your employer requires a sick note BEFORE 7 days of absence, we can supply one with your written permission.

Shotgun and Firearms License Applications

The decision about fitness to own, hold or renew a firearms licence rests with the police. However you are obliged to cooperate with the police by checking your medical records at the start and renewal of your license and a code added to your notes that you hold a firearms license. 

Fit to fly (air travel as passenger)

We MAY be able to provide a letter to confirm a medical condition/pregnancy for the purposes of travel. This is in the form of a statement of fact rather than a statement of “Fit to Fly”.

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. 

 

ITEMS WE DO NOT PROVIDE

MatB1 form, Maternity exemption certificates and healthy start forms

These are all issued by the midwife or Health Visitor

Applications for Passports, Visas, Character references

The organisations supplying these forms are able to suggest alternative signatories.

Fitness for exercise/gym

We encourage our patients to partake in regular exercise. The risk in undertaking activities at the gym is between you and your gym/instructor.

Fitness for parachute jumps, mountain climbing,  flying & diving etc

Certifying fitness to participate in dangerous or excessively strenuous exercise is beyond our area of expertise. Please ask your instructor about any concerns you have regarding your safety for these. We are happy to supply a print out of your notes, for a fee, for their consideration.

Diving requires a suitably qualified doctor to assess your fitness.

Letters for Housing

We do not provide letters to support housing/rehousing.

Letters about missing court appearances

Missing court is a serious matter. We will only provide a letter to the court if we are requested to do so by the court. Your solicitor will advise you further.

Letters about missed exams, to support exam conditions or school absence

We do not provide letters to advice about absence relating to school in any circumstance as sick notes are provided for employment purposes only.

Recording injuries for insurance/police

Recording injuries for the purposes of an insurance claim is not an NHS service. Your insurer can arrange a private medical examination if necessary. In the case of an injury resulting from an alleged assault a police doctor must assess and document injuries. We are not trained to do this work to the legal standard required.

Will-writing capacity and Power of Attorney

Testamentary capacity is a highly specialised area of medico-legal practice with important implications for the patient and family. If required the solicitor can arrange for a private consultation with a doctor, trained in this area, usually a psycho-geriatrician. Similarly, the same can be arranged as necessary if required in relation to Power of Attorney but this does not usually need a doctors opinion.

School Requests for Confirmation of Illness

It is becoming increasingly common that children attend our surgery and as part of the consultation we are requested to provide a “doctor’s note” to verify the child’s illness at the request of the school.

Absence from school is by and large due to self-limiting illnesses, which require either no treatment or a self-care approach. As such the child’s parent or guardian can verify the child’s absence from school and the reason for this directly with the school, including on a recurrent basis.

By requesting confirmation of illness when a child is absent from school encourages attendance for self-limiting and minor illness that is unnecessary. It also means that the child has to attend the surgery for an appointment, for the purpose of obtaining confirmation of illness, which takes an appointment away from a patient with a genuine medical need. In requesting confirmation of sickness for children we also have to consider confidentiality and the relationship we have with our patients.

Providing written confirmation of an illness for a child is not part of the NHS service we provide and is not a requirement in line with BMA guidance.

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/gp-practices/service-provision/supporting-pupils-at-school

At The Riverside Surgery we will not provide a doctor’s note for children who are absent from school.