Private GP Appointment

Decide what you want from the appointment

Before booking a private GP appointment, explain what you want help with and ask whether the service can address it. Check the age groups it sees, appointment format and what happens if you need a physical examination or another service.

A paid booking does not guarantee a particular medicine, test or referral. Ask what the consultation includes and how the clinician will explain the next step. This guide covers booking and preparation, rather than choosing a treatment.

Check who will see you

Ask for the doctor's name and GMC reference number. Use the GMC registers to check the individual doctor's registration status. Doctors practising medicine in the UK need an appropriate registration and licence to practise; the register shows their licence status.

Also check the provider's identity, location and complaints arrangements. In England, the CQC service finder provides information about services it regulates. Check which regulator covers the provider in the nation where it operates, rather than treating a directory badge as a regulatory check.

Get the full price before booking

Request a written explanation of the consultation charge and appointment length. Ask which tests, prescriptions, letters, reports or follow-up contacts would be charged separately. If a service offers a package, clarify what it includes before comparing it with a single appointment.

If using insurance, a workplace benefit or a membership, check the relevant cover and authorisation arrangements. Ask about cancellation terms and what happens if the clinician decides that a different appointment format is needed. Do not rely on an advertised starting price as the total cost of care.

Prepare and discuss information sharing

Make a short list of your concerns, questions, current medicines and allergies. Bring any relevant information the provider requests. Ask in advance about accessible rooms, communication support or having someone with you.

If this is a separate service from your usual GP surgery, ask what information it needs from that surgery and how a consultation summary can be shared. Confirm how to give consent and raise any concerns about records before the appointment.

Clarify responsibility for the next step

If tests or further care are discussed, ask who arranges them, who receives the results and who will explain them to you. Find out how to contact the service if an expected result does not arrive.

Check who handles follow-up and any ongoing prescriptions. Ask which parts of the plan involve another provider and what arrangements or additional charges would apply. Leave with a clear account of what happens next, rather than assuming that every part of care is included in the initial booking.

If you need help sooner

A routine private booking is not an emergency service. If you need medical help now, follow the NHS urgent-help guidance rather than waiting for a routine appointment or a reply through this website.

Read next

• General GP appointment preparation

Sources

• GMC: Our registers
• GMC: The licence to practise
• CQC: Find care services
• GMC: Remote consultations and continuity of care
• NHS: Preparing for an outpatient appointment
• NHS: When to use NHS 111