Private medical care policy
This policy explains how private care and NHS care work alongside each other, and what support we can provide as your GP practice.
If you choose private care, you remain entitled to NHS care. However, there are important boundaries between care funded privately and care funded by the NHS.
Before booking private care
- Check the clinician is appropriately registered: GMC medical register.
- Check the provider is regulated where required: CQC provider search.
- Confirm expected costs, follow-up arrangements, and who is responsible for tests, prescriptions, and aftercare.
- Ask the private clinician to send a full clinic letter to the practice and to you.
Mixing NHS and private care
In general, NHS resources cannot be used to subsidise private treatment for the same episode of care. The private provider is usually responsible for investigations, short-term prescribing, and follow-up linked to that private episode.
Reference guidance: Guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care.
Long-term medication after private consultation
Where a private consultation identifies a long-term condition, NHS prescribing may be considered where clinically appropriate and in line with local formulary rules and NHS prescribing guidance.
We normally require a clear consultant letter before reviewing long-term prescribing requests. A private prescription alone may not be enough to support immediate NHS conversion.
Useful references:
Moving between private and NHS care
You can move back to NHS care at any time. If this is needed, onward referrals are handled through standard NHS pathways and timescales based on clinical priority.
For help with an individual case, please contact the practice.