What is a Private GP Letter?
A private GP letter is a formal letter written on headed paper by a GMC-registered GP, based on a clinical assessment of the patient. It states medically relevant facts about the patient's health, relevant to the specific purpose the letter is needed for.
Private GP letters carry the same professional weight as letters from NHS GPs — both come from GMC-registered doctors operating under the same professional obligations to accuracy and honesty.
Common Reasons for a Private GP Letter
Travel insurance
Confirming a pre-existing condition is stable and well-managed. Required by many travel insurers before they will cover medical claims related to that condition.
Employment
Confirming fitness to return to work after illness, recommending reasonable adjustments, or documenting a condition for occupational health purposes.
School / university
Supporting exam exemptions or extensions, confirming illness preventing attendance, or documenting a condition requiring academic accommodations.
Legal proceedings
Confirming that a condition affected someone's ability to attend court, meet a deadline, or fulfil a legal obligation.
Housing
Supporting applications for adapted housing, priority rehousing, or exemptions from overcrowding rules on medical grounds.
Travel and airline
Fit-to-fly confirmation for airlines or insurers. See also: MEDIF form completion for formal airline clearance processes.
What a GP Letter Can and Cannot Say
A GP letter is based on clinical assessment and can legitimately state:
- A confirmed or working diagnosis
- Whether a condition is acute, chronic, stable, or improving
- The clinical impact of a condition on daily functioning or ability to work or travel
- Whether treatment is under way and appropriate
- Recommendations for reasonable adjustments or special assistance
A GP cannot write a letter that states things they do not believe to be clinically true, that overstates the severity of a condition, or that is designed to mislead a third party. A letter from Lambert Medical will always be based on an honest clinical assessment.
Tip: When booking, tell us exactly what the letter is for and who will receive it. This helps the GP tailor the letter to the recipient's specific requirements and avoids the need for follow-up correspondence.
Book Your Appointment
Same-week and next-day GP appointments are available at Lambert Medical Practice. The letter is typically issued within 24–48 hours of your appointment.