Billing and fees

This practice aims to charge fairly and disclose fees as much as possible. Before any non-emergency service, you'll be told the basis on which you're being charged.

Fees are based on the applicable standard tariff, or on a tariff set out in a binding agreement with your medical scheme where one exists. What you pay can depend on several factors, including your medical scheme, its contract (if any) with this practice, and the specific plan or option you're on.

This practice holds contracts with a number of medical schemes specifically so that members of those schemes are not liable for a co-payment. Reception can confirm the practice's current contracting arrangement with your scheme before your appointment—though not your personal benefits, which you should confirm directly with your scheme. A previous visit without a co-payment doesn't guarantee the same at your next one. Where your scheme isn't contracted with the practice or can't guarantee to settle your account directly, you may be responsible for a co-payment or the full consultation fee, which you would then claim back from your scheme yourself. If you don't belong to a medical scheme, you're responsible for settling your account at each consultation.

Some scheme plans or options don't provide for these services at all. Whatever your scheme membership or involvement, you remain fully responsible for settling your account. Scheme membership or authorisation never guarantees payment. You are responsible for confirming your benefits, limits, and any required authorisation directly with your scheme.

Some medical schemes require a specialist referral number from your GP before a specialist can claim from it; this is generally valid for a limited period. Without one, you remain liable for the consultation fees regardless of whether a Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB) applies. Please check with your scheme whether this applies to you.

Cash payments will never exceed the practice's disclosed private rates; where a consultation's combined fee would otherwise exceed the private rate, it is adjusted down to that cap.

The practice does not charge co-payments for in-patient consultations, regardless of its contracts with individual medical schemes.

A first consultation is billed in two parts. You pay one part at the consultation, then claim it back from your scheme yourself, in part or in full depending on your benefits. The practice submits the second part directly to your scheme, where your scheme's conditions for direct submission are met — if they aren't, you're liable for that part too, and can claim it back yourself.

A follow-up consultation is billed under the single code that best reflects the appointment, decided at the time based on whether PMB has been approved and the consultation's length.

This practice does not offer online or telehealth consultations.

Work done outside a scheduled consultation — including, but not limited to motivations, letters, return emails and telephone calls, reports and repeat prescriptions — is billed separately, at the rates set out in the costing guide or as agreed for the specific work involved. Some of this work may itself require a consultation to be booked before it can be completed.