What price for your doctor's signature?

16/05/2008

It is becoming apparent that some doctors are charging extortionate fees for signing documents such as application forms for Blue Badges and passports. Fees of £25 or £30 a time have been mentioned. The NHS Primary Care Trusts have refused to intervene, stating that the doctors mentioned are running private businesses and the fees are outside the NHS.

So what is going on here? Some doctors may see this as a nice little earner, some may be trying to discourage people from asking for their signature because they don't want to be bothered, whilst others may be genuinely ignorant of the financial plight of some of their patients.

We would like to hear from you if you have been charged high fees for reasonable requests at your local surgery, and whether you have complained about it. All replies with be confidential, and not used in any way which may enable your identity to be revealed. If required, names and addresses can be omitted.

Bristol Older People's Forum,

c/o Age Concern, Canningford House, 38, Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6BY
Tel: 0117 927 9222. Email: bopf@ageconcernbristol.org.uk