Private GP vs NHS GP: Cost, Access and How They Work Together

Both are doctors on the same General Medical Council register, and both can prescribe, arrange tests and refer you to a specialist. The differences are in who pays, how you get an appointment and what happens with prescriptions afterwards. This guide compares the practical side only. It makes no claim about which gives better care.

Details vary from surgery to surgery and clinic to clinic, so treat the table as a general picture and confirm anything that matters to you directly.

NHS GP appointments are free. NHS GPs are funded through taxes, and the NHS Constitution for England states that NHS services are free of charge except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.

Private GP fees are set by each clinic. Across the 52 London clinics with a published fee in the CheckGP directory, a standard consultation costs between £50 and £350, with a median of £115. Video consultations have a median of £90. For comparison, the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) says a standard 20-minute face-to-face appointment in the UK may cost around £80 to £120 and that central London and premium clinics are likely to charge more.

The consultation fee is rarely the whole bill. PHIN advises checking whether a quoted price includes prescriptions, tests and specialist referrals. The full breakdown is in how much a private GP costs in London.

There are three common ways to pay privately: per appointment, through a monthly or annual membership, or through private medical insurance. Insurance cover for GP visits varies by policy. Check whether yours covers GP appointments at all, whether it covers face-to-face or only virtual ones, what excess applies, and whether you must book through the insurer.

Everyone in England can register with an NHS GP surgery for free. You do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status. Most people register near where they live, although some surgeries accept patients from further away. A surgery can refuse a registration if it is not accepting new patients, if you live outside its area, or if you have been removed from its list before, and it must write to you within 14 days to explain why. The NHS page on how to register with a GP surgery has the steps.

A private GP works differently. You are not tied to one clinic or to a catchment area, and you do not give up your NHS surgery. Many clinics let you book online, sometimes after creating an account on a first visit, or by phone. You can compare private GPs in London by price and opening hours before you book.

The NHS page on GP appointments gives no fixed time within which a surgery will see you. Before booking, your surgery may ask what you need help with so it can decide how soon you need to be seen. For an urgent appointment the NHS advice is to call your surgery. NHS GP services also offer appointments on weekday evenings between 6.30pm and 8pm and on Saturdays between 9am and 5pm, which may be at another local surgery or NHS service.

Private clinics usually have no waiting list, and PHIN notes that many offer same-day or next-day appointments. Opening hours are each clinic's own choice, so they vary widely. If timing is the reason you are looking, filter for it:

• Same-day private GP appointments
• Walk-in private GP clinics
• Evening appointments
• Weekend clinics and clinics open on Sunday
• Video consultations
• Home visits

Neither an NHS surgery nor a private GP is an emergency service. In an emergency call 999 or go to A&E. If you need medical help now and it is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111.

This is the difference people most often miss. A wholly private GP cannot issue an NHS prescription. They write a private prescription, and you pay the market rate for the medicine instead of the flat NHS charge. Ask the pharmacy for the price before it is dispensed.

On the NHS in England, the prescription charge is £9.90 per item. Some people and some items are exempt. If you pay for many items, a prescription prepayment certificate caps the cost at £32.05 for three months or £114.50 for twelve months.

Do not assume your NHS GP will convert a private prescription into an NHS one. NHS guidance for north east London says an NHS prescriber is under no obligation to provide an NHS prescription after a private consultation, and that the cost of a private prescription is met by the patient or their insurer. Any decision to prescribe on the NHS is your NHS GP's own.

A private GP can refer you to a private specialist. A referral to an NHS hospital is also possible in principle: the British Medical Association states that private GPs are free to refer their patients to the NHS. Ask the clinic how it handles NHS referrals before you rely on this, because the process differs between clinics.

A private appointment does not change how the NHS treats you afterwards. NHS guidance for north east London says patients may opt into or out of NHS care at any stage, and that someone who transfers to the NHS after private investigation is treated according to NHS protocols. The NHS maximum waiting time for non-urgent, consultant-led treatment is 18 weeks, counted from when the hospital receives the referral or the appointment is booked.

Private clinics may also offer tests and screening to people who do not meet NHS criteria. Check whether the quoted consultation fee includes them, and ask for the price of each one first.

You do not have to choose. PHIN describes a common pattern: keeping an NHS GP for long-term care and using a private GP when a faster appointment is wanted. You remain entitled to the same NHS care as everyone else.

The practical catch is records. NHS and private records are kept separately, and neither doctor will automatically know about an appointment with the other. Three things keep the two joined up:

1. Ask the private clinic for a written summary of the appointment, and whether it will send one to your NHS surgery.
2. Tell each doctor about any new diagnosis or change of medication made by the other.
3. Keep copies of private test results and letters so you can share them.

The same bodies cover both. Every GP, NHS or private, must be registered with the General Medical Council, and you can search the GMC medical register by name, with a filter for doctors on the GP register. The Care Quality Commission inspects NHS GP practices and also independent doctor and clinic services, a category that includes private GP services. CheckGP shows a clinic's CQC rating on its profile where one exists.

For the checks worth making on an individual clinic, see how to choose a private GP in London. CheckGP's own prices come from each clinic's published price list, as set out in the methodology.

• Can I see a private GP and stay registered with my NHS GP?+

  Yes. You can use both. Using a private GP does not reduce your entitlement to NHS care, and you do not need to leave your NHS surgery to book one.
• Can a private GP give me an NHS prescription?+

  No. A wholly private GP can only issue a private prescription, which you pay for at the market rate for the medicine instead of the NHS prescription charge.
• Will my NHS GP see the notes from a private appointment?+

  Not automatically. NHS and private records are kept separately. Ask the private clinic for a summary and pass it to your NHS surgery, or ask whether the clinic will send it for you.
• Can a private GP refer me to an NHS hospital?+

  The British Medical Association says private GPs are free to refer patients to the NHS. Check with the clinic how it does this. NHS guidance for north east London says patients who move to the NHS after private care are treated according to NHS protocols.
• Is a private GP appointment longer than an NHS one?+

  Often, but it depends on the clinic. NHS appointments are usually around 10 minutes. Private clinics sell slots of different lengths, so compare the minutes as well as the fee.
• Does health insurance cover a private GP?+

  It depends on the policy. Check whether GP appointments are covered, whether that includes face-to-face visits, what excess applies and whether you must book through the insurer.

• Private Healthcare Information Network: Using private GP services in the UK
• NHS: How to register with a GP surgery
• NHS: GP appointments and bookings
• NHS: Prescription charges
• NHS: Prescription prepayment certificates
• NHS: Guide to NHS waiting times in England
• NHS: When to use NHS 111
• GOV.UK: The NHS Constitution for England
• British Medical Association: Private practice and GP contracts
• NHS North East London: NHS and private interface prescribing guidance
• General Medical Council: The medical register
• Care Quality Commission: Services we regulate
• Care Quality Commission: Independent doctor and clinic services
• CheckGP: published clinic fees, verified against each clinic's own price list

CheckGP is an independent directory and does not give medical advice. This guide covers costs and practicalities only.

• How much does a private GP cost in London?
• How to choose a private GP in London
• Same-day private GP appointments
• Compare private GPs in London
• All guides