In the United Kingdom, one of the fundamental principles of the National Health Service (NHS) is that patients have the right to receive medical treatment free of charge at the point of delivery. This right is enshrined in the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, which governs the relationship between NHS practices and the government.
Under the GMS contract, general practitioners (GPs) and their teams are legally obligated to provide a range of healthcare services to registered patients, ensuring that treatment is not contingent upon the patient’s ability to pay at the time of care. This contractual obligation helps to uphold the NHS’s core values of accessibility and equality, ensuring that all patients, regardless of their financial situation, can access the medical attention they need.
This means that GPs are required to provide essential services such as consultations, medical assessments, and preventative care without requesting payment from the patient at the point of delivery. The aim is to ensure that healthcare is available to everyone, reducing barriers to access and promoting better health outcomes for the population as a whole.
It’s important to note that while treatment at the point of delivery is free, certain services or treatments, such as prescriptions, dental care, and optician services, may have separate charging structures based on eligibility. These distinctions are clearly outlined in NHS guidelines and regulations.
Ultimately, the GMS contractual obligation ensures that the right to healthcare remains accessible to all, fostering a healthier and more equitable society.
The relevant paragraph is this
14.2.2. Subject to clause 14.2.4 and 14.2.5 and to clauses 14.6 to 14.7 a prescriber shall order any drugs, medicines or appliances which are needed for the treatment of any patient who is receiving treatment under the Contract by— (a) issuing to that patient a non-electronic prescription form or nonelectronic repeatable prescription completed in accordance with clause 14.2.8; or (b) where clause 14.3 applies, creating and transmitting an electronic prescription.
GPs can advise patients that treatments are available without prescription, but were a GP to refuse to issue an FP10 for treatment that they had recommended they would be in breach of paragraph 14.2.2 and open to complaint and possible financial redress.