Private Work and Charging Patients

There are only a few proscribed occasions where you are allowed to charge patients registered on your NHS list for work. These include

• private medical reports and certificates
• private examinations (e.g. HGV,PSV,aviation,diving)
• malaria prescribing
• providing travel kits
• prescribing drugs and medicines solely in anticipation of an ailment or occurence of illness or injury outside the UK (e.g. supply of drugs for foreign travel that are not part of normal/current treatment)

Examples of things you may not charge for

• providing out of hours treatment
• statutory certificates 
• acupuncture
• minor surgery
• pregnancy testing
• private prescriptions (apart from malaria)
• renting equipment e.g. BP machines, nebulisers

Detailed document with detailed information and legal and ethical framework here

Providing treatment to patients in Private hospitals,nursing homes and residential homes - GPC guidance

BMA GPC Charging patients FAQs (April 2008)

BMA GPC guidance on charging patients  (Jan 07)

GPC Focus on Private Patients

FS May 09