All Somerset GPs and Practice Managers This and Previous updates can be found in full here
Somerset GP Provider Confederation Meeting
PMS Contract
Specialist Prescribing letter to GMC from GPC
Outlining concerns regarding specialist prescribing, such as for those with...
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...
Somerset County Council Customer Contact Services took over the Blue Badge concessionary car parking service in April 2018. A spokesman told us, 'Before this time Blue Badge Applicants completed the forms stating they had medical conditions and unless they were seen in a clinic we only had their...
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...
The following is a list of obligations relating to Certification by GPs:
GPs are obliged to provide data essential for a clinical referral free of charge.
A GP has a statutory duty to supply a registered patient, free of charge, with any of the prescribed certificates set out in Schedule 4 of...
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...
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...
More and more GPs are being asked to provide Continuing Care Reports. A GP is required to always act in the patient's best interests, and this information should only be provided with the patient's consent.
Where a simple statement of fact regarding major diagnoses and current medication is...
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 sign...
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....
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 you resource...
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, the first doctor providing emergency treatment to the victim of a road traffic accident is generally entitled to charge a fee. A fee may be levied in respect of each person treated (Section 158(2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988). Mileage is also payable in excess...
People of state pensionable age are entitled to a pass which entitles them to free travel on local buses anywhere in England. This also applies to 'eligible disabled' as described in the list below, and patients are turning up with forms for the doctor to sign to prove eligibility. However,...
Overview of SMES for Care Providers
ME letter for relatives
Somerset Medical Examiner Service poster
Workflow for GP referrals SMES
The above now delayed until 2024 please see current process below
Death Certification (MCCD) process from 25th March 2022 following expiry of the Coronavirus Act...
The March Edition of the DWP Newsletter for General Practice
This includes guidance on:
Fit for work
ESA Allowance
Jobseekers allowance
Work Capability Assesments
Access to work Mental Health Support
ServicesDS1500 for terminally ill patients
Fite Note-updated guidance for GPs and myth buster...
Fit for work provides general work related health advice through a phone number and a website (including GPs) who needs advice on health and work related matters. Fit for work Guidance
The BMA guidance on the new scheme (which is currently being piloted in North Wales and Sheffield) is...
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...
Hospital Doctors have also been issued with guidance on Fit Certificates,
Hospital staff should therefore provide their patients with an adequate certificate to cover the expected period of disability. Ward nurses can issue a yellow certificate for the duration of a patient's inpatient stay,...
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...
Somerset Local Medical Committees represent all the GPs in the county and has a statutory duty to advise local GPs on matters of contract and obligation to patients and other service providers. We are often asked questions about requests for medical certificates to establish priority for housing...
England only
From 23 February 2015 the DWP will extend the areas in which existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants will start to
be reassessed for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). From that date the DWP will further extend the rollout of PIP natural
reassessment to some DLA...
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...
Schools are under increasing pressure to reduce non-attendance and will make contact with parents/guardians if there is a concern that any missed schooling is not justified. When parents turn up to ask for a letter or certificate about a possible health problem they may see this as a way of...
Update to fit note guidance 2023
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has published new guidance for GPs and other healthcare professionals using fit notes (statements of fitness for work) and GPCE was involved in its development. Fit note - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This guidance from NHS...
