Blue Badge Applications

Policy

We have received clarification from West Sussex County Council regarding the process for Blue Badge applications, which confirms that GP reports are not required and should not be routinely provided.

West Sussex County Council’s process requires applicants to supply their own medical evidence, typically in the form of diagnosis letters or supporting documentation received from a hospital or specialist consultant. If applicants do not provide sufficient information, they may be asked to submit copies of relevant documents themselves.

Key points from the Council’s approach:

• GPs are not required to provide reports or letters to support applications.
• Patients should supply their own medical documents, such as hospital or consultant letters.
• In some cases, a patient summary or medication list may be requested as a last resort, but this should be obtained by the patient, rather than the practice being directly approached.
• An Occupational Therapist within the Council’s team assesses complex cases, and most applications are reviewed without the need for additional information.

Given this, practices are under no obligation to provide letters or reports for patients applying for a Blue Badge. If patients request such documentation, they should be advised to use existing hospital correspondence or access their records via the NHS App or be provided with a printed copy of a brief summary from your clinical system.