wildfowler.250 Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 So looking into this regarding renewals. My local GP charges £60 for a letter to basically say that, to the best of his knowledge, I'm fit enough to possess a gun licence. A couple of lines and a signature. Now, practices in town,(20 minutes away) are doing this for free. But I'm stuck as your GP has to be local to your address? I understand a fee for time but I feel £60 seems steep and it annoys me that there's not a standard charge all over. What's everyone else's experiences with this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wb123 Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 You can get any doctor with suitable access to your records to do it. I looked at setting up doing this as a private sideline, the problem is transferring access to your records will be £50 if any paper entries remain, £10 if not. Add a suitable fee to cover time and indemnity and you will struggle to find anyone making a reasonable living doing it under £60. You might find a private GP happy to do it but a consultation fee and transferring records will likely come to around £60 or a bit more, plus any letter charge which they may or may not charge under the circumstances. A side issue is that to be operating on non NHS funded work the average GP needs to be billing about £250 an hour to cover himself, building, indemnity, and his staff. Given that figure is a few years old, costs have increased and to review your records suitably thoroughly given the horrendously unreliable coding systems will take at least 20 minutes, at £60 I suspect your GP is undervaluing the work involved. I looked at setting up doing it as a sideline, my lack of building and staff costs could have enabled me to do it cheaper, but access to notes and indemnity looked set to produce a functional minimum price around £60 if electronic records only. Much more if a patients record included paper (which most will). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 A side issue is that to be operating on non NHS funded work the average GP needs to be billing about £250 an hour to cover himself, building, indemnity, and his staff. It isn't non NHS funded work. GPs are more than happy to take money for patients who never, ever trouble them, but dangle some extra money in front of them and their nose heads straight for the trough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) Why can't a £10 SAR? Cover what the police need particularly as they are not asking for an applicants fitness to be an FAC/SGC Holder is being assessed. Only chief police officer for the force area the applicant resides in can do that..... any reports are separate and are then done by force medical officer or paid for??? BASC advise don't pay Why can't a £10 SAR? Cover what the police need particularly as they are not asking for an applicants fitness to be an FAC/SGC Holder is being assessed. Only chief police officer for the force area the applicant resides in can do that..... any reports are separate and are then done by force medical officer or paid for??? BASC advise don't pay https://basc.org.uk/blog/press-releases/latest-news/basc-says-dont-pay-medical-fee/ Edited January 6, 2017 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schmitty Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 If there is nothing to report then there should be no fee.... Are you a member of BASC? If so, give them a call. https://basc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2016/03/Firearms-licensing-medical-process-fact-sheet.pdf Basically, you should only get charged if you have stated on your application/renewal that you have a medical condition that requires the GP to write a medical report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted January 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) Thank you for the reply. Interesting points. GP needs to be billing about £250 an hour to cover himself, building, indemnity, and his staff Now, (splitting hairs but) the building costs shouldn't really come into it as 20 minutes at the end of the day to do some paperwork as an extra on top a full days surgery. And there cannot possibly be much paperwork involved that would require much on the staff side of things. I'm a vet myself so sympathize in some regards but also think the whole thing is overpriced. Surely a GP could look at a case hx in 10-20 minutes max. Have a rough template message saved on the computer,(amended for names and any extras). And the only other work to be done is scan and save a copy of the file on the computer,(2 minute job by a receptionist). Now if this is done at the end of the day, surely a small fee at most to cover the GPs time should be sufficient. £60 seems excessive whatever way it's painted. If you look at it as time to write the letter could be time used to see X patient and a consult is worth Y then it is underpriced. But I regularly do extra bits and pieces for my job which I don't charge for as its part and parcel of the whole thing. Edited January 6, 2017 by wildfowler.250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted January 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 (edited) If there is nothing to report then there should be no fee.... Are you a member of BASC? If so, give them a call. https://basc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2016/03/Firearms-licensing-medical-process-fact-sheet.pdf Basically, you should only get charged if you have stated on your application/renewal that you have a medical condition that requires the GP to write a medical report. Thank you! Will have a read of this. The brother just got charged £60 and there was no need for a GP letter other than the local police force now requesting one for everyone. £60 may not be a lot over 5 years but on top of the price for a certificate and everything else it all adds up. Edited January 6, 2017 by wildfowler.250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Thank you! Will have a read of this. The brother just got charged £60 and there was no need for a GP letter other than the local police force now requesting one for everyone. £60 may not be a lot over 5 years but on top of the price for a certificate and everything else it all adds up. Just because they request it doesn't mean you have to provide it at your cost....... The certificate process is intended to improve public safety not as it is increasingly becoming a privilege......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted January 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 Just because they request it doesn't mean you have to provide it at your cost....... The certificate process is intended to improve public safety not as it is increasingly becoming a privilege......... That's basically how it got made out to him. Have to have a GP letter or you won't get. And GP at said practice decides on £60 quid. Different practice and it wouldn't have cost anything. And I'll be in the same boat. Don't think I'll be forking out so lightly though. It is turning into a privilege type scenario. I agree the idea increases safety. But we shouldn't have to pay through the nose for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 6, 2017 Report Share Posted January 6, 2017 I agree the idea increases safety. But we shouldn't have to pay through the nose for it. Does it improve safety though really? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kody Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 That's basically how it got made out to him. Have to have a GP letter or you won't get. And GP at said practice decides on £60 quid. Different practice and it wouldn't have cost anything. And I'll be in the same boat. Don't think I'll be forking out so lightly though. It is turning into a privilege type scenario. I agree the idea increases safety. But we shouldn't have to pay through the nose for it. What police force is this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B25Modelman Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 (edited) So looking into this regarding renewals. My local GP charges £60 for a letter to basically say that, to the best of his knowledge, I'm fit enough to possess a gun licence. A couple of lines and a signature. Now, practices in town,(20 minutes away) are doing this for free. But I'm stuck as your GP has to be local to your address? I understand a fee for time but I feel £60 seems steep and it annoys me that there's not a standard charge all over. What's everyone else's experiences with this? Plus when you apply YOU state the name and address of your GP for the FA to contact and YOU sign the declaration accordingly. The Notes state, Where no relevant medical conditions are disclosed the police will contact your GP asking if they are aware of any relevant medical conditions or have any concerns about the issue of the firearm or shotgun certificate. Depending on the reply, the police may ask you to obtain a medical report from your GP/specialist. You are expected to meet the cost if a fee is charged for this. If further information is required the police may request and pay for a further report. I suppose it all stems around the word 'may'. The water may be muddy http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2635.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=160 Personally, yes the added bunce is a pain but in the long run, £109 for my license for the next 5 years (£22 per year) I aint too upset. Peps waste money in far worse ways. Edited January 7, 2017 by B25Modelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kody Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Plus when you apply YOU state the name and address of your GP for the FA to contact and YOU sign the declaration accordingly. The Notes state, Where no relevant medical conditions are disclosed the police will contact your GP asking if they are aware of any relevant medical conditions or have any concerns about the issue of the firearm or shotgun certificate. Depending on the reply, the police may ask you to obtain a medical report from your GP/specialist. You are expected to meet the cost if a fee is charged for this. If further information is required the police may request and pay for a further report. I suppose it all stems around the word 'may'. The water may be muddy http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/2635.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=160 And if police don't hear anything from gp after 21 days all is OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrowning2 Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Sadly as I have said before £60 for a letter from your GP but it will be a postcode lotto with some charging considerably more and overtime it will keep going up. With no checks and balances like the actual certificate fee. The idea was by allowing access to out medical records we were told we would get a ten year certificate but we did not. Which ever shooting organisations represented us in this change should never have agreed to one without the other many years owing a certificate has demonstrated the home office are not to be trusted on matters like this, it was nieve to think otherwise. Give it five years and I would expect the total cost for the process will be significantly higher I would guess £300 to £500 depending on where you live. After all you never see a poor doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted January 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Does it improve safety though really? Well not really. If someone snaps and decides to go out on a spree then there's very little you can do about that(whether he has a gun or drives a car into a crowd of people). But I think it's sensible to have on the doctors record that the patient possesses a firearms licence for instances like depression ect. What police force is this Northern constabulary. And I have to say they have always been brilliant previously. It's just the GPs demanding random fees that's the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildfowler.250 Posted January 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 The idea was by allowing access to out medical records we were told we would get a ten year certificate but we did not. Which ever shooting organisations represented us in this change should never have agreed to one without the other many years owing a certificate has demonstrated the home office are not to be trusted on matters like this, it was nieve to think otherwise. Give it five years and I would expect the total cost for the process will be significantly higher I would guess £300 to £500 depending on where you live. . Honestly a 10 year certificate would make this much more worth while but I honesty think checks every 5 years is more sensible. And I agree, the fees will only go up. I have to say the incidence of gun crime in this country is very low and yet I see this as the start of another nail in the coffin. I'm all for safety but I don't wish fees to spiral upwards and to be at ransom of whichever GP I'm fortunate enough to live near as you say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 There is a report that basically said the last 3 "spree" killers that used legally owned firearms would not have been prevented by this (bird being one) the vast majority of firearms crime is drug related and uses illegally held firearms. They problem is there is no way to effectively screen for this but that doesn't stop the "we must be seen to be doing something" attitude.... "Wont anyone think of the children" AFAIK once you have given permission for force to contact gp and made the declaration the legal Requirement is fulfilled, the guidance has been changed re GP fees but an SAR is £10 so how can it cost £60? Then you have the issues of GPs who refuse on moral grounds (not quite understood that tbh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1966 Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 on a similar note our five year old has just been diagnosed with a nut allergy, she has school dinners and we have been given a form to notify the dinner provider, this needs to be signed by a health professional, on ringing our local GP practice we were told there would be a charge to do it. unbelievable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr smith Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 I assume you mean police Scotland.And yes up here no gp letter = no ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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