# Cost of medical??



## Iman (Oct 11, 2007)

Hi everyone

We are just starting Home Study and I am trying to organise medical with local GP. We filled our forms in and handed them in but have hit an obstacle....the GP wants to charge us £125 EACH for our medicals!!

I was gobsmacked as I am sure is too expensive!!! So I rang SW and she agreed is ridiculous and that I should try and reason with them cos maybe they think its like a medical for an Insurance....they dont seem to be too familiar with Adoption Medicals. I am going to speak to Practice manager this week but am wondering how much everyone here was charged for their medicals?? I know the BMA advise max cost is £75 but many GPs charge less than that.....

Thanks

Iman xx


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## fuzzywuzzy (Sep 3, 2009)

Our GP tried to charge us about £115 but our SW said it should be £73.86 as per the BAAF price list. We then referred our GP's the that list and got the cheaper rate. Here it is http://www.baaf.org.uk/info/financial/medfees.pdf


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## Camly (Dec 12, 2006)

hiya 

sorry dont have any advice as our LA paid for our medicals to get done. strange how everyone is different isnt it?  

good luck x x x x


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## Chocolate Button (Jan 1, 2008)

That is awful. My GP has been with us every step of our infertility journey and has been fantastic. He has helped us on adoption journey too and didn't charge us for our medicals.
The price you guys have been quoted seems so expensive.


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## keemjay (Jan 19, 2004)

Our LA paid for our medicals too..perhaps your SW could phone the practice for you? or maybe if the doc wont budge you could ask the LA to 'contribute'

kj x


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## Iman (Oct 11, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I have just rung the surgery to speak to the Practice Manager only to be told she is not in all week!! i was told she would be in today. Apparently no-one else can help with this so I have left a note for her explaining things and asking for her to ring me back.......I'll let you know if I get anywhere!

We are going through a VA not an LA so I don't know if they would be able to help with cost at all  - I have SW coming over on Wednesday so will speak to her and maybe she can speak to the surgery if I don't get anywhere.....

I can't help feeling like Im being exploited when they try to charge us £125 each...they must know we can't proceed without it.....

xx


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## Iman (Oct 11, 2007)

Hi again

Well the update is: we are having to pay the full £125 each ( £250 in total!!)

Spoke to Practice Manager today who said she had contacted the BMA and that they no longer have ANY guidelines on what GPs should charge for adoption medicals and that GPS can chrage whatever they feel is appropriate. She said she spoke to one of the Practice Partners and they agreed that because of 'admin charges' they are sticking at £125 each.......Admin charges!! Better be staples made of gold for that price!!

I let her know I was upset and that she must know we can't proceeed without this and that we HAVE to go to them as they are our GP and the only ones with our medical histories....She said she wasnt going to be put in any 'position' over this.....and I said ' well we are in a position because of this.'

In the end I agreed to pay it but wanted it noted that we are not happy about this and neither is our SW or agency and that in all their experience of dealing with many many GP practices, this was highly unusual and very high compared to others. She said she would note our comments ( yeah right....) and I made the appointments.

I'm livid. Obviously I know this is the only cost we are going to incur I just get the distinct feeling that they are making money out of us and  they know that and don't care. But what can we do?? Saw SW today and told her and she said have one more shot at reasoning with actual GP when we go for medicals.


Guess we will just have to see!! 

Iman ( soon to be £250 poorer) xx


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## Chocolate Button (Jan 1, 2008)

I would try to take this further. What about getting an average cost from people on here and asking for a meeting with practice manager. Go armed with facts and figures and possibly a letter from SW. See if that gets you anywhere.
It is a disgrace.


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## Iman (Oct 11, 2007)

Thanks CB...I'm trying not to think about it but 'Im still mad!!

Im gonna try and speak to the GP when we actually go - I reckon they would be able to override the Practice Manager?? If not, I was wondering if under the Freedom of Information Act I could actually at least ask for a breakdown of these alleged Admin Charges and how that £125 cost has been calculated??

I'll think about it....part of me can't be bothered, been through so much I'm fed up of problems and feel its easier to be pushed into submission and concentrate on other more important things in this journey ! but on the other hand Im annoyed and I dont want them to do this to anyone else........  GRR!


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## pinkorblue (Sep 14, 2009)

Hi Iman

We have just had our medicals done this evening with our GP and they were to be £100 each but she charged us £80 instead. In one sense I hated paying the money as all she did was copy form our notes onto the form and do a few measurements but on the other hand she stayed behind at the surgery until 8pm to do them for us.

Although they are supposed to be confidential we did get to see them and she asked us were we happy with what she wrote.

Saying all that I wish I earned £160 cash for working an extra 1 and half hours!!  

Best wishes

pinkorblue


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## wynnster (Jun 6, 2003)

Hiya

That is ridiculous!!  

When you go in for your medicals I'd lay it on thick to the GP and ask for his/her assistance  

If that fails, I'd draw a line over it and move on.  I doubt you'll get anywhere if they're refusing to help now, it is down to them what they charge unfortunately  

You'll have enough to deal with with the rest of the process without fighting a fight you're unlikely to win


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## Camly (Dec 12, 2006)

i think its disgusting the amount of money they are charging you for your medical!! when i had my medical - it lasted all of about...erm.... 20 mins!!! its a disgrace.  sorry for my rant - which i know wont help you to feel any better but i just wanted you to know that i totally agree with you.

best of luck sweetie x xx  x


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## Iman (Oct 11, 2007)

Hi ladies

yes still peed off .....Medicals are booked for 16th Nov. I dont think the surgery will be open any later than usual for us - 5 pm are our appointments. Still seriously considering asking for breakdown of costs - even if they won't budge and we end up paying it ( as I expect will happen) I want to shame them up for their insensitive uncaring money-grabbing behaviour!!!!!!!!!!! 

What gets my goat most is that they were the GPs who we initially went to when having probs TTC, they were the ones who told us the inital problem with DH's SA results and they were the ones who referred us to a consultant. They also know that we have been discharged from the consultant and that I am not and have not been pregnant!! Therefore it doenst take a genius to work out what happened.............And here we are now moving forward, making the best of our situation and hoping to help a child, and all they wanna do is count the ££!!!

Grr! and I thought Drs were supposed to be compassionate and supportive!

Anyway.......... Im going to try and calm down and have a nice cup of tea!!

Will let you know how I get on after the 16th. 

xx


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## Mummyof2 (Jul 31, 2003)

Hi, we had to pay this amount for our medicals. As someone else has said it isn't a thorough medical and only takes about half an hour each. Also don't know if you realise but after a year of being approved you have to have another medical to prove you are still able to adopt ie no medical changes.  The second time around our LA paid.


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## Iman (Oct 11, 2007)

Hi ladies ( and gents) 

We had our medical this afternoon. havent paid yet as he said to pay once it is all done - once they have completed the paperwork. Whole thing took about an hour for us both! He was going v. slowly as not done this before so wasnt sure on some of the Qs. Didnt get to talk about adjusting the cost as by the time he finished the practice was closed and we had to leave by the back door! So planning to speak to them about that soon but think we prob gonna end up paying it...

Couple of other Q's:

I had mild ( petite mal) epilepsy from 1995 to 1998 when i was a teenager.....been free of medication or any episodes for 10 years now (longer I personally think) - will this affect our adoption

Also DH was referred with mild depression for a period of 6 months back in 2000 when he was at Uni and was seriously stressed out with degree and finances. Really it was stress but of course his notes don't say that!!! They offered him anti-depressants at the time which he declined and was fine again a few months later.......again will this affect our adoption?? 
Netiehr of us have had any further developments on either of these problems since then............

thanks for any help!!

xxx


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## keemjay (Jan 19, 2004)

Hiya
I dont think your past epilepsy history would affect anything..and whilst they might want to dicuss your DH's period of depression i dont think that will be a problem either..mostly they will just want to talk about how he dealt with it..as in recognising when he was needing help and being able to ask for it..they like to know adopters are open and able to ask for help if problems come up post adoption and wouldnt bury their heads in the sane until it got to a crisis point..
hope that helps
kj x


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

my friend was charged £170 but SS paid it directly to her GP before she went - only one report as a single mum. She has back/spinal problems, is obese and has had to hault the adoption proceeding twice for ops on her back. 
Good luck


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