Topic: Certification
Fitness to fly certificates are not part of GMS contractual work and so GPs are under no obligation to issue them. If you do decide to issue a certificate then you can charge a private fee. The BMA advises caution when considering undertaking this sort of work as there can be potential medico-legal implications. ‘We […]
There is clear guidance regarding the obligations that GPs have with respect to copying and/or release of the GP record. For your reference, these circumstances are: If the police do not have a court order or warrant they may request voluntary disclosure of a patient’s health records under section 29 of the Data Protection Act […]
DWP Officials report that some GPs are still insisting on seeing written consent for reports for DWP purposes. The GMS Regulations require GPs to accept the assurance of the DWP or its agents that there is consent. The PMS Regs are the same, with different numbers. 80 (1) The contractor must, if satisfied that the […]
Those of us who have had children sit GCSE and A level examinations are well aware of how stressful this time is, and how important the results may be for the young person concerned, so it is not surprising that parents or schools sometimes turn to the GP for medical evidence if a young person […]
From time to time GPs are requested to provide reports for the patients to Local Housing Authorities and Housing Associations. This is not part of core services and therefore you may charge an appropriate fee for the work involved or you may refuse to do it. We would recommend that you ascertain the following before […]
GPs receive many requests for reports from government organisations or other third parties. Remember that unless they are specified in legislation (e.g Death Certificates ) or NHS Regulations or contracts (e.g. Med3 Certificates) you do not have a contractual obligation to fill in these reports and they will attract a fee. The fee needs to take into […]
What should you do if a patient wants you to confirm their suitability to do SCUBA diving? This is not part of GMS so you do not have to provide this service to your patients. You may do so if you feel competent to make this assessment. If you do this work you must consider how […]
The golden rule here is only to sign a form that you are happy with. If the wording is to broad or some sections suggest you have undertaken extensive investigations, then strike them out or rewrite and initial the sentence. You also need to have some description of the nature of the jump. Old fashioned […]
Patients often approach GPs with forms to fill out before they can embark on some low calorie diets. You may find this information useful: You do not have to fill out these forms You can charge for filling out the form Much of the data, weight and BP is part of normal GMS care You can […]
Most children taking part in non-commercial performances do not require a licence to perform and, even if a licence is required for commercial work, the Local Education Authority may have discretion as to whether a medical certificate is required. In this instance, a child is considered to b any person who has not yet reached […]