What to Expect From a Private GP Appointment

A private GP visit can be broken into five stages. The table below is the short version; the sections after it explain each one.

Many private GPs let you book through their website, and some ask first-time patients to add their details before logging in. You can also phone the clinic and ask the staff to book for you.

Three choices shape what you will pay and how long you get:

• Format. In person, video or phone, or a home visit. In the CheckGP directory, the median video consultation is £72.50, against £110 for a standard consultation.
• Length. Clinics do not agree on what a standard appointment is. The median extended consultation in the directory is £149.
• Timing. Out-of-hours appointments can cost more. If you need to be seen quickly, start with same-day private GP appointments.

Across the 100 London clinics with a published standard fee, prices run from £70 to £310. The full breakdown is in how much a private GP costs in London.

A few minutes of preparation means less of your paid time goes on admin. A useful list:

• Your NHS GP's name and practice. A private doctor who is not your regular doctor is expected to ask your consent to contact your GP and to share information with them at the end of the episode of care.
• A note of any medicines you take and their doses, so you do not have to remember them on the spot.
• Your insurance policy details and any authorisation number, if you plan to claim. Check before the appointment, not after.
• Any letters or results from other doctors that relate to why you are booking.
• For a video appointment, a quiet private room, a charged device and the joining link tested in advance.

If the booking confirmation does not say whether you need photo ID, ask the clinic.

There are three common ways to pay for a private GP:

The consultation fee normally covers the appointment itself. Before you book, check whether the quoted price includes prescriptions, tests or referrals.

Private GP appointments are often longer than NHS ones, though how long depends on the slot you booked. The doctor can give advice, arrange tests, prescribe medicines and refer you to a specialist.

• Who you are seeing. In a remote consultation with a doctor who is not your regular doctor, GMC guidance says they should tell you their name, their role and, if online, their GMC registration number. You can look any doctor up on the GMC register.
• Chaperones. GMC guidance says doctors should, wherever possible, offer a chaperone before an intimate examination, and should comply with a reasonable request to have a relative or friend present as well.
• Extras. If the doctor suggests a blood test, a scan or a referral, ask what it costs before you agree.
• Time. If you have more than one thing to raise, say so at the start, so the time you paid for covers it.

A private GP is not an emergency service. Call 999 only for a life-threatening emergency. For medical help you need now that is not life-threatening, NHS 111 is free, available 24 hours a day, by phone, online or through the NHS App.

What you leave with depends on the consultation, but these are the usual next steps and how each is paid for:

NHS and private records are kept separately. Your NHS practice will only know about the visit if the clinic writes to them with your consent or you tell them yourself, so mention any new diagnosis or change in medication when you next see them.

You can ask the clinic for a copy of the information it holds about you. This is a subject access request, which you can make in writing, by phone or in person. Organisations usually have one month to respond.

1. Complain to the clinic first, in writing if you can, saying what happened and what outcome you want, such as an apology or a refund. Keep a record.
2. If the clinic subscribes to the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS) and you cannot reach agreement, you can ask ISCAS for independent adjudication. The patient pays nothing; the provider covers the cost.
3. You can also tell the Care Quality Commission about your experience. The CQC cannot take a complaint forward on your behalf, but it uses what people tell it to protect others.

Before booking anywhere, the checks in how to choose a private GP cover the GMC register, the CQC rating and the real price. If you are still deciding whether to go private at all, see private GP vs NHS GP, or compare private GPs in London by price, opening hours and access.

• How long is a private GP appointment?+

  It depends on the clinic and the slot you book. Clinics do not agree on a standard length, so check how many minutes the fee buys before you compare prices.
• Do I pay for a private GP before or after the appointment?+

  It depends on the clinic. Check the booking terms before you confirm, including when payment is taken and what happens if you cancel or miss the appointment.
• Will my NHS GP find out I saw a private GP?+

  Only if you agree to the private clinic sharing information or tell your NHS GP yourself. NHS and private records are kept separately, so it is worth mentioning any new diagnosis or medication change at your next NHS appointment.
• Is a prescription included in the private GP fee?+

  The medicine itself is not. With a private prescription you pay the market rate for the medicine at the pharmacy, and some clinics may charge separately to issue the prescription, so ask when you book.
• Can I bring someone with me to a private GP appointment?+

  GMC guidance says doctors should comply with a reasonable request to have a relative or friend present during an intimate examination, as well as offering a trained chaperone. For anything else, ask the clinic when you book.

• PHIN: Using private GP services in the UK
• PHIN: Making a complaint about private healthcare
• General Medical Council: Deciding if it is safe to prescribe
• General Medical Council: Intimate examinations and chaperones
• General Medical Council: Our registers
• Information Commissioner's Office: Getting copies of your information (SAR)
• Care Quality Commission: Complain about a service or provider
• London Ambulance Service: When to use 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?
• How to choose a private GP in London
• Private GP vs NHS GP: how they compare
• Compare private GPs in London
• All guides