How can they justify this?

[Tweety]

Chris needs a medical report signing by the gp. Ok i guessed there would be a charge for this but £30.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that taking the piss or what?

It's not like its for a naff reason, its for the police (his regular application) so its for a job for the community too (yes i know you don't all see it like that).

How can they get away with such high prices? I could understand a tenner but jeeze!

[Calvin]

Do you have any other options for getting it signed ?

[Hellfire]

Yup, but police should pay, When I joined the ACF they payed for mine, just gave the docs a form to fill in

[Scary Monster]

No idea, but be glad you don't need dive medical reports signing on a yearly basis!

I suppose they might try and justify it on the grounds that it's not covered by NHS so is done as private work.....

Am dreading when I have to get my fit to return to uni form signed.

[Yerascrote]

Maybe they hiked the price up when they found out if was for a police officer. :p

[Tweety]

Do you have any other options for getting it signed ?

No it has to be signed by his gp.

[Tweety]

Yup, but police should pay, When I joined the ACF they payed for mine, just gave the docs a form to fill in

Why would the police pay for it?

[Tweety]

Maybe they hiked the price up when they found out if was for a police officer. :p

:p

[Calvin]

No it has to be signed by his gp.

Then thats how they can get away with charging what they like. Its shit I know. I would just pay the fee but let his car tyres down or something :p

[Tweety]

We have no choice but to pay it, but i think that they should have some sort of regulating like banks do now on fair charges!

[xsazx]

tis the same when you need to get passport photos verified, our local surgery wanted to charge us £30 just to sign to say the photo is actually us, so we went back to our primary school head teacher and she signed it for free (only had to be done by a figure of authority though) tis ridiculous at times

[Hellfire]

Why would the police pay for it?
because he's going to be working for them?

like im working for the ACF so they paid for mine,

[Tweety]

tis the same when you need to get passport photos verified, our local surgery wanted to charge us £30 just to sign to say the photo is actually us, so we went back to our primary school head teacher and she signed it for free (only had to be done by a figure of authority though) tis ridiculous at times

Yeah but a passport is for holidays (luxurys) this is for an important job.

[Tweety]

because he's going to be working for them?

like im working for the ACF so they paid for mine,

I will mention it to him but no holding out much hope.

[xsazx]

it takes less effort to sign a photo was my principle though and some people need passports for work not just holidays. T'was the same when my uncle applied for the police, because its not part of their routine work on the NHS they can get away with charging silly ammounts. Can you ask if the costs could be claimed back from the application processors? highly unlikely they will but worth a try

[Tweety]

True.
I will tell him but i doubt they will pay it.

[briggi]

It's simply because it's not seen as within their "duties". You could argue that it is or that it isn't but they're within their rights to charge for it, unfortunately.

My darling GP has always signed mine for free despite that not being surgery practice. I used to just take 'em along to my appointment and he'd do it then. He's just a nice bloke I think :)

I have to add my voice to the surprise at the Police not paying for it - but then why am I not surprised. I always thought the medical report stage came when the employers (or whoever) were sure you were going to have a successful application process pending no medical problems, so they paid for it as goodwill/standard practice. But maybe it's different for the old bill, I have no first hand experience.

[Scary Monster]

Passports can also be for work.

In fairness to the GP filling in the form, signing it and checking the records to know that the form is right all takes his time, and it's not part of his NHS contract so he's not getting paid for doing it, likewise for the passport photos. It would be nice if they would do it all for free, but there's no reason to expect they should. Bear in mind as highly qualified professionals their hourly rate is pretty high.

[Tweety]

It is the last stage of the application process. As long as he passes his hearing test next week then hes in.
So they more or less know they are gonna give him the job, so its all a bit crappy that they want to charge so much. Like i said i understand they want to charge for it but i don't understand why it's so bloody much!

[Scary Monster]

Have to say though, I am surprised that the police don't offer to pay. It might be worth ringing the advice line for applications and ask if it is standard to have to pay and if there is anyway of reimbursing costs.

[Tweety]

It would be nice if they would do it all for free, but there's no reason to expect they should. .


I am not expecting them to do it for free, just not stupidly overpriced!

[xsazx]

yea it doesn't take 5 seconds to write "I certify this is ..... signed ..." which doesnt really verify £30 charges but ah well such is life

[Scary Monster]

They've got to look it all up etc too, I realise it's doesn't seem fair but it's not outrageous.

I know bear in mind you are not only paying for his time, but the receptionists time, and the practise running costs....

[VinylVicky]

Chris needs a medical report signing by the gp. Ok i guessed there would be a charge for this but £30.50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that taking the piss or what?

It's not like its for a naff reason, its for the police (his regular application) so its for a job for the community too (yes i know you don't all see it like that).

How can they get away with such high prices? I could understand a tenner but jeeze!
I've just had a bill for 28 quid for my doctor to write 3 sentences!

[Tweety]

I've just had a bill for 28 quid for my doctor to write 3 sentences!

It's crap isn't it.

[VinylVicky]

yea it doesn't take 5 seconds to write "I certify this is ..... signed ..." which doesnt really verify £30 charges but ah well such is life

The receptionist at my Doctor's said yes it only takes a short time for one but we have lots of these forms and they are done as overtime as there isn't time during surgery hours.

[VinylVicky]

It's crap isn't it.

Yep and seeing as I'm on benefits and this is for my insurance on a loan, it's really gona sting me.

[xsazx]

The receptionist at my Doctor's said yes it only takes a short time for one but we have lots of these forms and they are done as overtime as there isn't time during surgery hours.
should do it in their tea breaks then so there isn't a built up of forms to do :p ours do them on the spot but tend to want us to have an appointment to do so. I don't actually see how its verified though as they see so many patients and don't actually have pictures of us, its only really going on house address surely?
and i shouldn't really complain considering I'm looking at going into the profession but I'm just in a whinging mood

[Hellfire]

Ouch,

well with mine I actually had a medical examination.. so it seemed more justified, it was bout an hour long I believe.

[Sofie]

Ouch,

well with mine I actually had a medical examination.. so it seemed more justified, it was bout an hour long I believe.

I can understand if you had a full medical examinaton, but not for signing a bit of paper.

[Tweety]

Ouch,

well with mine I actually had a medical examination.. so it seemed more justified, it was bout an hour long I believe.

That has already been done by the force gp. So all they want is for his actual gp to confirm the form is correct and sign in.

[SuzyCreamcheese]

tis the same when you need to get passport photos verified, our local surgery wanted to charge us £30 just to sign to say the photo is actually us, so we went back to our primary school head teacher and she signed it for free (only had to be done by a figure of authority though) tis ridiculous at times

Doesnt even need to be a figure of authority.
Anyone with a professional qualification can sign it.
Mine was countersigned by a professional printer. No problem

[twisted_trinity]

£10 is all i had to pay when i needed a letter written to college, £30 odd is very steep!

[Kermit]

The employer should pay for it, as it is the employer that needs it. The employer has to pay for other similar forms, such as the enhance CRB check.

[Man Of Kent]

It's not part of the NHS, it is more work for them and it will take a while to do. Added to that they are responsible for any inaccuracies written in that report.

£30 for a report to say that he's fit enough to work for the police? Given the payback I'd say it was a good investment.

[Man Of Kent]

Doesnt even need to be a figure of authority.
Anyone with a professional qualification can sign it.
Mine was countersigned by a professional printer. No problem

TBH You are lucky to find a GP who is willing to do it these days anyway...

[lucifer devil]

i thought it was £10 - that's a bit steep. my doctor has done me 2 within the space of a few months and not charged me. think it's because she's nice/she knows my mum/feels sorry for me!

[Big Gay]

It might only take them a minute to do, but on their pay, 30 quid is about at cost

[Randomgirl]

Presumably in order to sign the form (after reading it) to say its correct would involve an extensive review of his notes held at the surgery? That could take ages to read through all the records to cross-reference them to check nothing has been emitted etc.

[Tweety]

The employer should pay for it, as it is the employer that needs it. The employer has to pay for other similar forms, such as the enhance CRB check.

Apparently it said on the form that any costs incurred with be payable by the applicant.

[Tweety]

Given the payback I'd say it was a good investment.


It is, but when you are earning £6000 LESS than what you will be, it kinda gives the picture of how skint we are.

[Scary Monster]

To be fair to the GP I think it would be more reasonable to bitch and moan about why the police service won't pay for it, rather than the GP charging for it which is perfectly reasonable for a professional service.

[Skive]

If the police payfor it, it means we pay for it.

30 quids fuck all in the scheme of things though.

[Scary Monster]

If the doc does it in his NHS time we pay for it too.....

[katralla]

yea it doesn't take 5 seconds to write "I certify this is ..... signed ..." which doesnt really verify £30 charges but ah well such is life

as already said, DRs are paid quite a wadge - should it be lowered to meet the salary expectations of the people they work for- £0.05 for the toddler who thinks their couple of quid a week is loadsa moolah? If you fill in a passport form properly, it takes more than 5 seconds to sign for, sensible people don't just sign any old piece of paper pushed under their noses, whether it looks familiar or not.

[xsazx]

I'm not talking filling out the form though I literally meant signing the back of a photo saying who the person is. Wasn't saying they should do it for free but I also feel £30 is a bit steep for just signing a photo (same with getting student cards verified the person applying does the work of filling the form out). Which is why I think that's a more justified cost for the full medical Hellfire got but not necessarily certifying documents

[Scary Monster]

Passport photos you are also supposed to check the form and fill in a section on the back. You also have to be willing to be contacted by UKPA which will also take up your time.

Convert it to an hourly out of hours rate and it starts to seem a little more fair. I suspect it is also on the passport photos thing to try and put people off wasting their time with it.

[Dobbin]

If doctors didnt take so fecking long about seeing patients they'd be able to do it during nhs time. I went to the docs on monday and was waiting for over an hour. My mum works at the surgery and said that they're always running late cos they spend so much time chatting (all female doctors). Fair enough, sometimes someone needs a longer appointment cos they genuinely need medical attention, but seriously. Its not fair.

[Scary Monster]

You'd be amazed how much they glean from patients by chatting to them, a lot of the stuff that various doctors and nurses picked up from me while I was will last summer was the chat as much as the consultation. It's not always the waste it seems it is.

Some people completely over exagerrate their symptons, others play them right down, and the general chat will often shed light on the real situation.

[Tweety]

30 quids fuck all in the scheme of things though.

Not when you are skint its not.

[VinylVicky]

Not when you are skint its not.
Exactly, I'm on the dole and it's two thirds of my weekly income.

[Monserrat]

I had to undergo a medical recently when applying for my life insurance. I didn't have to pay anything. If I missed the appointment and had to rearrange then I would have had to pay £25.