Private GP consultation
A paid appointment with a GP, in person or online, usually for quicker access, more time or a second opinion — with some important limits on what it can do.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- It is a paid GP appointment, in person or online, mainly offering quicker access, more time or a second opinion — to the same professional standards as the NHS.
- It cannot replace emergency care, and it does not give the continuity of a registered NHS GP who holds your full records.
- Prescribing follows the same rules and clinical judgement as the NHS; a responsible GP will not simply prescribe on request, especially for controlled or high-risk medicines.
- Sharing information with your NHS GP (with your consent) is important for safe, joined-up care — be cautious of services that skip this.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your GP will give you advice for your situation.
Quicker access to a GP when waiting feels difficult.
A medical emergency — chest pain, severe breathlessness, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding or any life-threatening problem needs 999 or A&E, not a GP...
You agree a plan and receive safety-netting advice — what to watch for and when to seek further help. Ask for anything important in writing.
Clear safety-netting advice on what to watch for and when to seek urgent help.
You agree a plan and receive safety-netting advice — what to watch for and when to seek further help. Ask for...
Any prescription is issued; you may need to arrange tests. A summary should, with your consent, go to your NHS GP.
Test results and referral letters come through. Make sure you know who is chasing results and how you will be told.
If you need review, agree who will do it. One-off private appointments may not include follow-up, so this can fall...
What is a private GP consultation?
A private GP consultation is a paid appointment with a general practitioner, either in person or by phone or video. People use private GPs for quicker access, a longer appointment, convenience, or a second opinion. The GP can assess symptoms, examine you (in person), arrange tests, prescribe within their scope, give advice and refer you on.
A private GP works to the same professional standards as an NHS GP and must be appropriately registered, with the clinic regulated by the healthcare regulator for your nation — the Care Quality Commission in England, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, or the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) in Northern Ireland. The individual GP should also be registered with the General Medical Council. What is different is mainly access and continuity, not the clinical standards expected.
A private appointment can be genuinely useful, but it has limits. It is not the right route for an emergency, it may not have your full medical records, prescribing is bound by the same rules and clinical judgement as in the NHS, and one-off appointments do not provide the ongoing, joined-up care that your registered NHS GP gives. A good private GP is clear about these limits and shares information with your NHS GP, with your consent.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Private GP versus NHS GP
| Aspect | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Cost | Private is paid per appointment; NHS GP care is free at the point of use. |
| Access | Private is often quicker and at flexible times; NHS access varies by practice and demand. |
| Records | Your NHS GP holds your full history; a private GP may not, unless information is shared. |
| Continuity | Your NHS GP provides ongoing, joined-up care; one-off private visits usually do not. |
| Emergencies | Neither replaces 999 or A&E for serious or life-threatening problems. |
Private and NHS care can work together well when information is shared with your consent. Tell each GP what the other has advised or prescribed.
Preparing for your appointment
- Write down your main concerns and questions, and what you hope to get from the appointment.
- List your current medicines, doses and any allergies, plus relevant past conditions and operations.
- Have details of your NHS GP to hand, and be ready to consent to information being shared with them.
- Bring or note any recent test results, hospital letters or readings (such as blood pressure or blood sugar).
- For an online appointment, find a private, quiet space with a good connection, and good lighting if anything needs to be shown on camera.
- Be honest about symptoms, alcohol, smoking and any recreational drug use, as this affects safe advice and prescribing.
- Know your nearest urgent and emergency options in case you are advised to seek care elsewhere.
What happens
The GP will ask about your symptoms, history, medicines and how things affect you, much as an NHS GP would. In person, they may examine you; online, they will judge whether a remote assessment is safe or whether you need to be seen face to face.
They will explain what they think is going on, discuss options, and agree a plan. This might include advice, a prescription within their scope, tests, a referral letter, or safety-netting advice on what to watch for and when to seek further help.
With your consent, a good private GP shares a summary with your NHS GP so your records stay up to date and care is joined up. If they cannot safely help within a remote or one-off appointment — for example if you need examination, ongoing monitoring or urgent care — they should tell you and signpost you to the right service.
Is this appointment right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- A medical emergency — chest pain, severe breathlessness, stroke symptoms, severe bleeding or any life-threatening problem needs 999 or A&E, not a GP appointment.
- A problem clearly needing physical examination or monitoring, if only a remote appointment is on offer.
- Ongoing, complex conditions that need continuity and a full record, which your registered NHS GP is better placed to manage.
- Seeking a specific prescription on demand, particularly controlled drugs, sleeping tablets or strong painkillers, where a responsible GP may decline.
Delay or rearrange if…
- You actually need urgent or emergency care — get that first.
- Important records, results or letters could be gathered to make the appointment more useful.
- A remote slot is offered but your problem really needs to be seen in person.
- You are unsure whether the service will share information with your NHS GP or arrange safe follow-up.
Alternatives to discuss
- Your NHS GP, which is free and holds your full records, for non-urgent problems.
- NHS 111 for urgent advice when you are unsure where to go (in England, Scotland or Wales; in Northern Ireland, contact your GP out-of-hours service or your HSC Trust's Phone First service).
- A pharmacist for many minor illnesses and medication questions.
- Urgent treatment centres or A&E for urgent and emergency problems.
- An NHS specialist referral through your GP where ongoing or specialist care is needed.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Benefits
- Quicker access to a GP when waiting feels difficult.
- Often a longer appointment, with more time to discuss concerns.
- Convenience, including evening, weekend or online options.
- A second opinion on a diagnosis, medication or plan.
- Help arranging tests, referrals and routine medical letters within professional limits.
- Clear safety-netting advice on what to do if symptoms change or worsen.
Risks & complications
- The GP not having your full medical records, which can affect safe advice and prescribing.
- Less continuity than with your registered NHS GP, so follow-up may fall to you to arrange.
- Being advised that you still need to see your NHS GP, be examined in person, or attend urgent care.
- Paying for an appointment that concludes you need referral or tests elsewhere anyway.
- A remote assessment missing something that an in-person examination would have found.
- Confusion or duplication if your NHS GP is not told what was advised or prescribed.
- A private prescription your NHS GP will not automatically continue, especially for specialist or controlled medicines.
- Inappropriate prescribing by a service that prescribes on request without proper assessment — a sign of poor practice.
- Delay to urgent care if a private route is used when emergency help was actually needed.
The biggest issues with private GP care are records, continuity and prescribing. A GP who cannot see your full history, or who only sees you once, may not have the whole picture, so information-sharing with your NHS GP matters. Prescribing follows the same rules and clinical judgement as the NHS — a responsible GP will not simply prescribe what is requested, particularly controlled drugs or high-risk medicines, and may decline if it is not safe. Ask how records are shared and what happens if you need follow-up.
Published figures to discuss
Numerical risk rates are not meaningful for a GP consultation, because outcomes depend on the problem, the assessment and the plan rather than a measurable procedure. The most relevant 'risks' are about safety and continuity: incomplete records, the limits of remote assessment, prescribing within proper rules, and making sure follow-up and information-sharing happen. A good GP manages these openly.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious illness missed in a short consultation | Safety-net dependent | Good GP care explains uncertainty, red flags and when to seek urgent help. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Fragmented care from private/NHS split | Common | With consent, relevant information should be shared with the NHS GP to avoid duplicated or unsafe prescribing. | NHS — How to use NHS services (urgent and emergency care)nhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Remote consultation unsuitable | Symptom-dependent | Chest pain, severe breathlessness, abdominal emergency, neurological deficit or safeguarding concerns may need face-to-face or emergency care. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Antibiotic or controlled-drug prescribing pressure | Governance risk | GMC prescribing standards require safe indication, checks, documentation and follow-up. | GMC — Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devicesgmc-uk.orgSource-linked context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
There is no recovery from a consultation. What matters afterwards is acting on the plan, getting any test results and letters, knowing what to watch for, and keeping your NHS GP informed.
- No physical effects from the appointment itself.
- Needing to arrange tests or a referral after the consultation.
- Waiting a few days to weeks for results and letters.
- Being asked to follow up with your NHS GP for ongoing care.
- Realising some issues need an in-person appointment or a specialist.
Aftercare
- Follow the agreed plan and any safety-netting advice on what to watch for.
- Make sure a summary is shared with your NHS GP, with your consent, so your records are up to date.
- Collect any prescription and check you understand the dose, duration and side effects.
- Arrange any tests promptly and confirm how and when you will get the results.
- Tell your NHS GP about any new medicine, especially if it needs monitoring or ongoing prescribing.
- Keep copies of letters, results and advice for your own records.
- Know which urgent or emergency service to use if you become more unwell.
- A written summary of the plan and any safety-netting advice
- Your prescription and clear dosing instructions
- A note of which tests were arranged and how results will reach you
- Confirmation that your NHS GP will be updated, with your consent
- Copies of any referral letters
- Details of follow-up — who, when and how
- Your nearest urgent and emergency care options noted
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Chest pain or pressure, severe breathlessness, or symptoms of a stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech) — call 999 immediately.
- Severe bleeding, severe allergic reaction, or sudden severe pain — these are emergencies, not reasons to wait for a GP appointment.
- A baby or child who is very unwell, hard to wake, struggling to breathe, or has a rash that does not fade under pressure — seek urgent help.
- Thoughts of suicide or feeling unable to keep yourself safe — call 999 if life is at immediate risk, or NHS 111 for urgent mental-health support in England, Scotland or Wales (in Northern Ireland, contact your GP out-of-hours service); Samaritans are on 116 123.
- Symptoms that worsen quickly after the appointment — for urgent but non-life-threatening advice, use NHS 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or in Northern Ireland contact your GP out-of-hours service or your HSC Trust's Phone First service, rather than waiting.
- A high fever with confusion, a stiff neck, or feeling very unwell — seek urgent assessment.
- Any 'red flag' the GP specifically told you to act on.
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your GP gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A good consultation leaves you with a clear understanding of what is likely going on, a plan you agree with, and advice on what to watch for. It will not always give a definite diagnosis on the day — some things need tests, time or an in-person examination — and a responsible GP is honest about that uncertainty.
A private appointment does not, by itself, prove you are well or unwell; it is a point-in-time assessment. The most useful outcomes are clarity, a sensible plan, and safe onward steps, with your NHS GP kept informed so your care stays joined up.
A consultation reflects how things are on the day. Symptoms, test results and circumstances change, so advice and plans may need revisiting — which is part of why ongoing care from a registered GP matters. If problems persist, recur or change, a further appointment or review is sensible rather than relying on a single past consultation.
Related tests, treatments or support
Private GP care works best alongside your NHS GP, not instead of it, with information shared so prescribing and follow-up are safe. Private appointments are often combined with private blood tests, scans or specialist referrals; make sure results and letters flow back to whoever provides your ongoing care.
Follow-up & long-term care
Follow-up depends on the issue. A single private appointment may not include ongoing review, so agree who will check results, repeat prescriptions or monitor a condition — often this is your NHS GP. Make sure letters and results are shared, and that you know how and when you will be told about anything that needs action.
- Ongoing conditions usually need continuity and monitoring, best provided by your registered NHS GP.
- Any medicine needing regular blood tests or review should have a clear plan for who does this.
- Keep your NHS GP informed of private advice, prescriptions and results.
- Return for review if symptoms persist, recur or change rather than relying on a one-off appointment.
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- Advice and plans may need revisiting as symptoms, results or circumstances change.
- A remote appointment may need to be followed by an in-person examination.
- A diagnosis or plan can be revised once test results are back or after review.
- Ongoing care and monitoring often pass to your NHS GP rather than being completed in one private appointment.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- Clear safety-netting advice on what to watch for and when to seek urgent help.
- A written summary and, with your consent, information shared with your NHS GP.
- A clear plan for who chases test results and how you will be told.
- Honest signposting to NHS, urgent or emergency care when that is the right route.
- Sensible, rule-following prescribing with the dose, duration and side effects explained.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- The length of the appointment and whether it is in person, by phone or by video.
- The time of appointment, such as same-day, evening or weekend availability.
- Whether tests, scans, referral letters or reports are included or charged separately.
- The cost of any prescribed medicines, which are usually paid for privately.
- Whether follow-up appointments are included.
- The clinic's location and whether it is part of a membership or pay-as-you-go model.
- The consultation fee and what it includes.
- The cost of any tests, scans or procedures arranged.
- Whether referral letters, fit notes or reports are extra.
- How private prescriptions are charged and dispensed.
- Whether follow-up appointments are included or charged separately.
- How information is shared with your NHS GP, and any cost for this.
- The cancellation and rescheduling policy.
On the NHS? NHS GP care is free at the point of use; a private GP appointment is an optional paid alternative used for speed, convenience, more time or a second opinion, and works best alongside your registered NHS GP.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- No clear explanation of what the appointment can and cannot do, or its limits.
- Prescribing without proper assessment, or on request, especially for high-risk medicines.
- No offer to share information with your NHS GP, or no explanation of why that matters.
- No safety-netting advice on what to watch for and when to seek urgent help.
- Unclear arrangements for who follows up results and ongoing care.
Marketing red flags
- 'Get any prescription you want' or guaranteed prescriptions without assessment.
- Claims to fully replace your NHS GP or to provide complete continuity from one-off visits.
- No mention of when to seek emergency care, or of the limits of remote consultations.
- Pressure to buy add-on tests or treatments of unclear benefit.
- Reluctance to share information with your NHS GP.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the GP is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the GP who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good GP will welcome every one of these.
- Will you be able to see my full medical records, and how will you share information with my NHS GP?
- If I need a prescription, what are the limits, and will my NHS GP be able to continue it?
- Is a remote appointment suitable for my problem, or do I need to be seen in person?
- Who will follow up my test results, and how will I be told?
- What should I watch for, and when should I seek urgent or emergency help?
- If you cannot help within this appointment, where will you signpost me?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the GP who carries out my appointment, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this appointment not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Can a private GP do everything my NHS GP can?
Will a private GP prescribe whatever I ask for?
Will the NHS continue a medicine a private GP starts?
Is an online GP appointment safe?
Should I use a private GP in an emergency?
Will my NHS GP be told what happened?
Can a private GP give me a sick note or referral?
How do I check a private GP clinic is properly regulated?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: GMC — Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices GMC — Remote consultations (ethical hub) CQC — Independent doctor and clinic services CQC — Take care when using online primary care services NHS — How to use NHS services (urgent and emergency care) RCGP — Safeguarding in the independent and online/digital GP sector nidirect — Urgent and emergency care services (NI) nidirect — GP out-of-hours service (NI) Healthcare Improvement Scotland — independent healthcare regulator Healthcare Inspectorate Wales RQIA — Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (Northern Ireland)
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
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