Can You See a Private GP Without Insurance?

Paying for yourself is the simplest route, and it is the price CheckGP shows for every clinic. The table sets out the main options side by side.

You do not have to leave your NHS GP to see a private one. Seeing a private GP does not reduce your entitlement to NHS care.

CheckGP takes each price from the clinic's own published fee list and leaves out member-only, subscription and follow-up prices. The figures below are therefore what a new patient paying for a single visit would be charged.

• Standard consultation: across the 100 London clinics with a published standard fee, prices run from £70 to £310, with a median of £110.
• Longer appointment: the median extended consultation is £149.
• Video appointment: the median is £72.50 and the lowest is £30. See video private GP consultations for clinics that offer them.

Clinics do not agree on how long a standard appointment is, so compare the minutes as well as the price. The full breakdown, including how fees vary across London, is in how much a private GP costs in London.

Without insurance, the consultation fee is rarely the whole bill. Before you book, ask whether the quoted price includes any of these:

If you do have private medical insurance, cover for GP visits varies a great deal between policies. Some cover only shorter, virtual appointments. Three UK insurers describe their GP benefits like this on their own websites:

• Aviva says its Digital GP app is exclusively for its health insurance customers, at no additional charge, with 15-minute video consultations. It also says this is a non-contractual benefit that Aviva can change or withdraw at any time, and that private prescriptions and fit notes can be issued for a small charge.
• AXA Health says members aged 18 or over get an online GP service by video or phone, subject to availability. It says treatment or monitoring of chronic conditions is not covered. For business plans, its Private GP option pays up to £500 a year towards private GP appointment fees for each person on the plan.
• Bupa lists access to 15-minute in-person GP appointments at a Bupa Health Centre, with no excess and no effect on your no claims discount, plus a digital GP service. It notes that some corporate schemes do not include digital GP access.

Even where the appointment is covered, the rest may not be. If you need tests, medication or a referral, you may have to pay the full cost of these yourself. Bupa also says a policy usually will not cover conditions you had before your cover started, or ongoing and chronic conditions. Check your own policy documents, not a summary page.

Having insurance does not mean you have to use it for every GP visit. These are the practical questions that decide whether a claim or a self-pay visit suits you better:

1. Does my policy cover primary care, and is that in person or only by video or phone?
2. Is there an excess, and how does it compare with the self-pay fee at a clinic I would choose anyway?
3. Does the insurer pay the clinic directly, or do I pay and claim it back later?
4. Must I use a particular clinic or book through the insurer?
5. Could making a claim affect what I pay for cover in future?

If the insurer would send you to a set clinic or only offers video, and you want a particular clinic or a same-day face-to-face slot, paying for yourself may be the only way to get it. CheckGP lists same-day private GP appointments and walk-in private GPs separately.

Some people keep their NHS GP and pay privately only when they want a quicker appointment. If you see a private GP, you are still entitled to the same level of NHS care as everyone else. For hospital and specialist care in England, Department of Health guidance says that paying for private care does not remove your entitlement to NHS services, and that the two should be kept as clearly separate as possible.

NHS and private records are kept separately, and the two GPs will not automatically know what happened at the other appointment. Mention any new diagnosis or change in medication to your NHS GP when you next see them. The differences in cost, access and prescriptions are covered in private GP vs NHS GP.

A private GP is not an emergency service. If someone has signs of a life-threatening illness, call 999. For urgent medical help that is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online, in the NHS App, or by calling 111.

1. Pick the format first: in person, video or a home visit.
2. Compare clinics on price and appointment length, not on the lowest "from" price. You can compare private GPs in London by fee, opening hours and access.
3. Ask what the fee includes and what the likely extras cost, before you confirm.
4. Check when payment is taken and the cancellation terms.
5. Check the doctor and clinic as set out in how to choose a private GP, then see what to expect from a private GP appointment for the visit itself.

• Do I need health insurance to see a private GP?+

  No. Private GP clinics take patients who pay for themselves. You pay for each appointment, or for a membership if the clinic offers one, and insurance is only one of the ways to pay.
• How much is a private GP without insurance in London?+

  It depends on the clinic, the appointment length and whether it is in person or by video. The CheckGP directory shows the current range and median for standard, extended and video consultations, taken from each clinic's own published fees.
• Does health insurance cover private GP appointments?+

  Some policies do and some do not. Cover can be limited to video or phone appointments, capped at an annual amount, or subject to an excess, and tests, medication and referrals may not be covered. Check your own policy documents.
• Will seeing a private GP affect my NHS care?+

  No. You can see a private GP without leaving your NHS GP, and you remain entitled to the same NHS care as everyone else. The records are kept separately, so tell your NHS GP about any new diagnosis or medication.
• Is a private prescription included in the consultation fee?+

  The medicine is not. With a private prescription you pay the market rate for the medicine at the pharmacy, and some clinics also charge to issue the prescription, so ask when you book.

• PHIN: Using private GP services in the UK
• Aviva: See a digital GP
• AXA Health: Private GP online appointment
• AXA Health: Small business Private GP option
• Bupa: What benefits do you get with private health insurance?
• Department of Health: Guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care (PDF)
• NHS: When to use NHS 111 online or call 111
• 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?
• Compare private GPs in London
• Private GP vs NHS GP: how they compare
• What to expect from a private GP appointment
• All guides