The Ivers Practice

Services we don’t offer

We are a busy NHS GP surgery facing challenging levels of demand, workload, and budgetary pressures. Despite these challenges, we are committed to fulfilling our core duties and delivering high-quality care to our patients. The NHS budget is distributed among various service providers, and contracts specify the services that GP practices are required to provide. Our key contracts include:

NHS GMS Contract

We operate under the NHS General Medical Services (GMS) Contract, ensuring we meet the obligations outlined for GP practices.

Primary Care Network Membership

As part of a Primary Care Network (PCN), we collaborate with other local practices to enhance patient care and fulfill shared responsibilities.

Additional Services

In addition to our core duties, GP practices may offer optional services usually funded by the Integrated Care Board (ICB). At the time of writing, we are proud to provide several of these services, including:

  • Steroid joint injections
  • Post-surgical wound care
  • Enhanced diabetes care
  • NHS Health Check for over eligible over 40 year olds
  • Some injectable cancer treatments
  • Minor Surgery

Private Fees

For some unfunded services, such as writing medical reports or completing certain forms, we charge a fee. For more details, please visit our Private Fees page. We encourage patients to review this information for clarity on services that may incur charges.

Service Limitations

While we aim to meet patient needs, there are instances where we cannot provide certain services because:

  • Funding for a service falls under a different setting, such as hospitals, or when the service is not commissioned.
  • NHS clinicians are only indemnified (insured) for work directly covered by NHS contracts and duties (we are not insured to do work that is out of our scope).
  • Redirecting resources to unfunded work would compromise our ability to meet our contractual obligations.

Advocacy and Representation

We are active members of the Local Medical Committee (LMC), which advocates for GP practices and collaborates with NHS commissioners to commission additional services for GP surgeries. This effort aims to increase the range of services available within the community.

Policies

Beyond unfunded work, we have policies to decline certain common requests. These include requests that:

  • Do not align with the standards of good medical practice.
  • Are not supported by robust medical evidence.
  • Represent interventions that are not a cost-effective use of NHS resources.

Examples of Declined Requests

Below are examples of common requests that GP practices may decline, along with explanations:

Third Party Blood Test Requests are blood tests that clinicians at other hospitals and clinics need but request they are done at the surgery.

Please click here to visit our dedicated page on these types of requests

For short-term absences from work or school (less than 7 days), self-certification is sufficient, as per government guidelines.

These certificates are not covered under NHS services and are considered private work, which falls outside our funding and obligations.

GP Practices are not funded and staff are often not experienced in the assessment and management of injuries. In the NHS, these issues are dealt with in minor injuries units and A&E. Housebound patients who sustain an injury and are not able to get to A&E or a minor injuries unit should call 111 or 999 to assess whether a paramedic needs to be dispatched to assess their injuries.

Many over-the-counter medications (e.g., paracetamol, antihistamines) are readily available at pharmacies and do not require a prescription, ensuring NHS resources are used effectively.

Cosmetic treatments, such as removal of benign skin lesions, are not medically necessary and are not funded by the NHS.

Referrals are only made when there is a clear clinical need, as unnecessary referrals place additional strain on specialist services.

These forms are not related to NHS-funded medical care and are considered private administrative tasks.

These reports require detailed documentation and fall under private services, which are chargeable.

Treatments not supported by clinical evidence are not provided as they do not align with NHS clinical guidelines.

GP practices do not prescribe diazepam for fear of flying. The reasons for this are based on safety concerns and national guidance, which is explained in detail under “Health and Safety with Flying” in Holiday and Travel Health. Information on alternative treatments is covered.

Skip to content