Policy regarding requests from private providers to take blood tests
Chapelford Medical Centre follows the following guidance regarding requests for blood tests to be done by a private provider:
If a patient has chosen to pay for private healthcare because
- a) their treatment is not available on the NHS or
- b) they do not wish to be treated on the NHS
they are responsible for paying for all costs, including tests, and the private provider is responsible for managing every aspect of their healthcare (unless the patient chooses to transfer back to the NHS at a later date to continue treatment).
For that reason, private providers should not be asking GPs to arrange any tests that they deem necessary, and intend to use, to make a diagnosis and recommend a course of treatment with.
It is the private provider’s responsibility to arrange tests for patients whose care they are managing, and the patient’s responsibility to pay for them.
Published on 27 January 2025