🚗 Mileage Claims for GP Registrars: Home-to-Base and Home Visits

     

Driving your own car to GP placement or doing home visits? You can claim mileage! It always baffles me how few of my colleagues make the most of this claim. You are literally owed hundreds of pounds, every rotation. 

Here is my latest pay slip with an extra £200. 

   

This guide breaks down:

• When you can claim mileage
• The rules around home-to-base mileage (from home to your GP practice)
• Whether you can claim for home visits
  
• How to make sure your claim is approved ✅

       

🧾 The Official Guidance

All expenses are governed by the Terms and Conditions of Service for NHS Doctors and Dentists in Training (England) 2016, updated in 2023.

👉 Travel expenses are explained in Schedule 12 of the contract.

The core rule is this:

"Expenses are paid to meet actual disbursements of doctors in the performance of their duties”.

During a GP placement, registrars can be reimbursed for the cost of driving to work and back, if they’re expected to do home visits and bring their own car.

          “Doctors working in a GP practice setting who are required to use their own vehicle on the expectation that home visits may be required to be undertaken shall be reimbursed at the reserve rate, as specified in table 7 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, for the mileage of their return journey from home to principal place of work”
— Schedule 12, para 16

        

🏡 So.. Can You Claim Home-to-Base Mileage?

✅ Yes - if you 'may be required' to do home visits and use your own car.

This applies to nearly all GP trainees, as home visits are a routine part of general practice.

You can claim for:

• Mileage from your home to your GP surgery
  
  
• Mileage from your GP surgery back home
  
  
• On days where home visits may be required

BUT: this is only reimbursed for a maximum of 3 days per week per placement - see below. 

       

📉 What’s the 3-Day Rule?

NHS England (NHSE) will only fund mileage and related expenses for an average of 3 days per week per trainee per GP placement.

• If your practice wants you to bring your car more than 3 days per week (i.e. you're expected to do home visits every day) they can reimburse you directly, but NHSE won’t cover those extra days. That's a conversation you can have with your practice. 

          

🧾 But… What About Home Visit Mileage?

✅ Yes, you can also claim reimbursement for home visits. You are entitled to reimbursement at standard mileage rate for any official journeys made from the practice to a patient’s home and back.

This is completely separate from home-to-base claims, and not subject to the 3-day cap.

In order to claim home visit mileage, you will need to document/keep a list of the post-codes you’ve visited. 

        

🏢 Who Do I Submit the Claim To?

All mileage claims, including retrospective ones, should be submitted through your employer. 

    

💻 Example System: EASY Expenses

Many Lead Employers and NHS trusts use EASY Expenses to process mileage and other travel claims. If you're employed by one of the following trusts, this is likely the system you'll use.

🗂️ Examples of Trusts Using EASY Expenses:

• St Helens and Knowsley
• Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• SASH (Surrey & Sussex Healthcare)
• Severn Public Health

🧾 What is it?
EASY Expenses is an online platform for submitting claims like:

• Home-to-base mileage (if you're doing home visits)
• Excess mileage
• Business travel

💡 Most systems require:

• Vehicle details and business insurance confirmation
• Uploaded work schedules or validation for home visits
• Claims submitted within 1 month of travel

Check your local induction pack or trust intranet for the exact login link and guidance.

If your employer does use Easy Expenses, you might find this guide useful. 

       

💡 IMPORTANT: Employers often require claims to be submitted within 3 months (or less). Some may even stipulate 1 month. So be organised and don’t miss out!

        

🚗 Insurance Matters

• Important: Review your employer policy. You will likely need to ensure that you have business insurance in order to claim home visits - but this is usually quite cheap (it cost me about £50 last year..), and means you'll save £100s. 

        

💡 Quick Summary

✅ You can claim:

• Home-to-base mileage if you’re expected to do home visits (up to 3 days/week)
• Mileage for home visits (no cap)

🛑 You cannot claim:

• More than 3 home-to-base days per week (unless your practice funds it)

         

📎 What’s Next?

• Once you’ve saved hundreds of pounds on mileage, don’t stop there…
• ➡️ Learn how to claim your tax rebates and save hundreds more on GMC fees, RCGP membership, exams and more.