Why most UK GPs say no to being your Certificate Provider

Google "who can be my certificate provider for an LPA" and every result tells you the same thing: your GP, your solicitor, or a friend of two years.

So why does almost every GP we ask say no?

We speak to a lot of people who have already been through this loop before they find us. They've Googled the guidance. They've followed the advice. They've called their GP surgery, explained what a Certificate Provider is, waited to hear back, and received a polite refusal — or a fee they weren't expecting, with a wait they couldn't afford.

The search results haven't caught up with reality. The reality is this: the standard NHS contract does not cover acting as a Certificate Provider for a Lasting Power of Attorney.

What the NHS contract actually covers

A GP's NHS contract defines the clinical services they're paid to provide. Consultations, referrals, prescriptions, health checks. The list is detailed and specific.

Acting as a Certificate Provider for an Lasting Power of Attorney isn't on it.

The British Medical Association has been clear on this for some years. The Certificate Provider role — attending a call or meeting with the donor, confirming capacity and understanding, signing the relevant section of the form — falls outside what a GP is contractually obliged to do as part of their NHS duties. When a GP agrees to do it, they're doing it privately. On their own time. At a rate they set themselves.

Some GPs are very willing to do this. Many are not. And the ones who are willing typically charge between £100 and £250 for the service, depending on the practice and the area. Some charge more.

That fee, combined with the wait, catches a lot of families off guard.

What actually happens when you call a GP surgery

We've tracked this, informally, over many conversations with clients. Here's what typically happens.

You call the surgery. Reception takes a message, because the GP needs to confirm whether this is something they offer. You wait one to three days for a call back. When the call comes, you're told either that the GP doesn't offer this service, or that they do — privately — at a fee, with availability in two to four weeks.

If your situation is urgent — a hospitalisation, a recent diagnosis, a family member whose capacity may not hold — two to four weeks is not a workable answer.

Most GPs who act as Certificate Providers do it privately, at £100 to £250, with a wait of two to three weeks. That's the reality the official guidance doesn't tell you.

And then there's the question of what happens at the appointment itself. A GP Certificate Provider appointment is usually done in person, at the surgery. You or your family member need to travel there. If the donor is in hospital, or has mobility difficulties, or is simply anxious about a formal setting, that creates its own complications.

The solicitor route has the same problem

The official guidance mentions solicitors alongside GPs. The experience is similar.

Solicitors who will act as Certificate Provider for someone they don't already know typically charge somewhere in the range of £150 to £300. If you're not an existing client, many will want an initial consultation before they'll take the work on. The process of getting an appointment, completing the consultation, and arranging the Certificate Provider sign-off can take ten days to three weeks.

Some solicitors are faster. Some are less expensive. But starting from scratch, without an existing relationship, the wait is real.

The "friend of two years" option

The third option in the official guidance is a friend or colleague who has known the donor personally for at least two years, is not named in the Lasting Power of Attorney, and has no financial interest in the donor's affairs.

This is often the right option for people who have someone suitable in their lives. But it comes with a practical difficulty that the guidance glosses over: the Certificate Provider needs to understand what they're confirming.

Their role is specific. They're certifying that the donor understands the document, hasn't been pressured, and has mental capacity to make the decision. Most friends have never read an Lasting Power of Attorney form. Asking them to sign a legal document confirming something they're not fully sure of puts them in an uncomfortable position.

We've spoken to people whose Certificate Provider agreed in principle, read the form the night before, panicked about the legal responsibility, and withdrew. This is more common than people expect.

What we built instead

The Certificate Provider problem is one of the most consistent points of failure in an Lasting Power of Attorney application. Families get most of the way through, reach this section, and stall. Sometimes for weeks.

We offer a professional Certificate Provider service that works by video call, on the same day you contact us.

It's a proper conversation. One of our qualified planners speaks directly with the person making the Lasting Power of Attorney. We explain what the document does. We check their understanding in plain language. We ask about pressure and coercion. We ask questions that allow us to form a genuine view of the person and their wishes.

We sign only if we're satisfied. If we have concerns — about capacity, about undue influence, about anything that gives us reason to pause — we say so, and we explain clearly what the next step should be.

The fee is less than most GP private rates. There's no travel, no waiting room, no two-to-four-week queue.

The search results still point people toward their GP. We're not going to change the search results. But we can be there for the people who've already tried that route and found it closed.