Domestic abuse victims wrongly charged over £150 from GPs for letters confirming injuries

‘GPs charging for medical evidence is another economic injustice that they face,’ says campaigner

Leading domestic abuse charities condemned the ‘shocking’ misconduct - noting many victims are already struggling to make ends meet as they have endured financial abuse from their abuser. (PA)

Domestic abuse victims are being wrongly charged over £150 by GPs for letters proving their injuries which are often required to access legal aid or other crucial services.

Doctors charging victims are infringing guidance from the British Medical Association, the professional association for doctors, which explicitly states survivors fleeing abusive partners should not be forced to dig into their own pockets to pay for medical evidence.

Leading domestic abuse charities condemned the “shocking” misconduct - noting many victims are already struggling to make ends meet as they have endured financial abuse from their partner.

Lucy Hadley, of Women's Aid, one of the largest charities in the sector, told The Independent: “Most women who have experienced domestic abuse will have experienced economic abuse from their perpetrator.

“This will have a huge impact on their ability to leave their partner and rebuild their lives afterwards. GPs charging for medical evidence is another economic injustice that they face.”

The Independent previously reported one in three domestic abuse victims trying to flee their partner have been plagued with financial abuse - which includes partner stealing money, trying to control spending, or racking up debts in the victim’s name - leaving them unable to escape danger.

Refuge, the UK’s largest provider of shelters for domestic abuse victims, found 1,780 women seeking help – more than a third of the total – had faced economic abuse from their partner. On average, the mistreatment lasted more than six years.

Ms Hadley noted domestic abuse survivors are often forced to provide “evidence” of abuse to access support in a range of situations - such as when applying for legal aid, the child maintenance system and exemptions from Jobseekers Allowance work conditions.

She added: “These requirements can create major barriers to accessing support, as many survivors will have never reported the abuse they’ve experienced to the police or any other statutory agency.

“We have previously heard of shocking examples where GPs have charged women applying for legal aid hundreds of pounds for medical evidence.”

She said the charity is insistent domestic abuse victims should never be charged for obtaining evidence of their mistreatment from a GP or other medical professional as she called for the practice to “end altogether”.

A spokesperson for the British Medical Association told The Independent they do not believe there is any need for medical involvement in the process for survivors getting access to legal aid. 

The representative added: “We feel that such requests can compromise the relationship between doctor and patient, and that legal aid agencies should take the word of victims without needing to consult a GP – who themselves may not be best placed to confirm whether domestic abuse has occurred.

"This is a position we continue to make clear through our input into the government’s ongoing review into bureaucracy in General Practice.

“While these letters are not funded by the NHS contract and practices are able to charge patients a fee for their completion, the BMA recommends that they do not. Ultimately, however, this is at the individual practice’s discretion.”

 

The issue of letter charging was raised in the House of Lords on Tuesday where the domestic abuse bill had its second reading.

Baroness Wilcox of Newport, a Labour peer, shined a light on the issue on behalf of Lord Kennedy of Southwark at the lengthy debate which saw more than 90 peers speak.

She said: “GPs are able to charge the victims of domestic abuse over £150 for a letter confirming their injuries to enable the victim to get access to legal aid and other services.

“The government have expressed concern but have failed to act. My noble friend intends to table an amendment to stop these charges."

Baroness Williams of Trafford, a Conservative peer, added: “While GPs can levy a fee for this service, due to it being classified as private work that sits outside the core GP contract, the BMA has now advised GPs not to charge for such letters.”

Domestic abuse has surged across the country since the Covid crisis hit – in May, it emerged calls to the UK’s national domestic abuse helpline had risen by 66 per cent and visits to its website soared by 950 per cent since the UK was plunged into lockdown last spring.

While a report released by MPs at the end of April revealed domestic abuse killings in the first 21 days of the first lockdown were double the total of an average period in the past decade.