In the UK, most patients have access to free healthcare services via the NHS (National Health Service), which includes primary care services, such as appointments with a doctor. A private GP (General Practitioner) is a doctor that charges patients for appointments and other healthcare services.
All doctors in the UK must be registered with the GMC (General Medical Council), who ensure doctors are qualified to work as doctors in the UK and have the necessary training and education. All private clinics who provide medical appointments or treatments in England and Wales need to be registered with CQC (Care Quality Commission) or HIW (Health Inspectorate Wales).
There are a number of different reasons why a patient may decide to pay to see a private GP, you could be visiting the UK from another country or another part of the UK and don’t have access to your regular GP. You could be seeking a second opinion or have been unable to get an appointment with your usual doctor within a suitable time frame. Primarily, patients choose to see a private doctor because of the flexibility our doctors can provide in terms of availability or appointment length.
No, it really shouldn’t. Ultimately, it is the patient’s health that GPs are most concerned with. We actively encourage you to remain registered with your NHS doctor, in most circumstances it is vital that you do. With your permission, we can also access your medical records or inform your GP of your appointment with us. However, appointments can remain as private as you choose.
You can normally see one of our private doctors on the same-day. However, it is our aim to see patients within 24 hours of an enquiry. Where possible, we will try and accommodate you with a suitable time or day of your choosing.
Yes, we can see children from birth.
Yes, we can provide you with a chaperone during your appointment.
Unfortunately, an interpreter is not something we can provide as part of our service, so we do recommend that you bring someone along with you if you think there may be language or communication difficulties during your appointment.
No, appointments are available on an individual one-off basis and you do not need to register with us to be seen by our private doctors.
As previously mentioned, appointments are charged based on the amount of time you have with the doctor. An initial consultation with IGP is ?120 (30 minute appointment)and a follow-up appointment is £95. However, you can register with the IGP and spread the cost of appointments throughout the year. Registration starts at just £30 per month for 5 appointments over the year, which can be used by up to 6 family members. This works out at just £72 per appointment, as well as the other benefits you will receive by registering with the IGP.
Appointment FeesSimply click on the link below or contact us to say that you are interested in registering and we will send you the registration forms. Alternatively, you can complete these while you are waiting for your appointment. However, if you arrive for your appointment and choose to pay for a one-off consultation, but then later decide to register, we can register you and simply deduct the consultation from your plan when you do register.
Register with the IGPAs well as the appointment itself, if appropriate, patients will receive a private referral to a consultant or specialist and/or a private prescription. You may also receive a treatment, such as ear wax removal as part of the appointment cost.
If you are unable to attend at one of our clinics, we can arrange a telephone consultation or alternatively, we can see you online using our online video application.
Online AppointmentsWhile the private prescription itself is included in the cost of the consultation, you will usually be charged by the pharmacy of your choice for the medicine itself. We can usually provide you with an estimate of the cost of the medicine. However, different dispensing pharmacies will charge different amounts for some medicines. You may also be charged for repeat prescriptions.
If you have had a prescription from us previously and it is still clinically indicated, we can provide you with a repeat prescription without having to have another appointment. When we receive your request for a repeat private prescription, we can either post this directly or supply it to your choice of pharmacy.
In some case you can self-refer to consultants in specific areas of medicine. However, in most cases a referral will be necessary. The first step in arranging an appointment with a consultant is to arrange an appointment with one of our GP's to ensure the clinical appropriateness of the referral and to the consultant you will be seeing. Following your appointment with one of our GP's we will directly contact the consultant who will then organise an appropriate and convenient appointment for you. We have a close working relationship with private specialist consultants in all areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physiotherapy and counselling.
Consultant ReferralsFor business customers, IGP provides comprehensive occupational health services, either for new starters or sickness absense resolution. In this respect, we are unique in the that, as we are private doctors, we can treat as well as advise.
Occuaptional Health
Please contact us for more information or to book an appointment at any one of our occupational health clinics.
Our admin hours are 08:30 to 17:00. Outside of these hours you can send us a message or request a callback.
The Independent General Practice
