Most people in the UK have never paid to see a GP, and the first time they consider it the question is usually the same: is it worth it? The honest answer is that for some problems the NHS serves you perfectly well, and for others a private appointment solves in days what would otherwise drag on for months. Knowing which is which saves you both money and worry.
Where the NHS works well
If you have a long-term condition that needs continuity — diabetes, asthma, blood pressure — your NHS practice is built for exactly that. Repeat prescriptions, annual reviews and referrals into established specialist pathways all run better when one surgery holds your full record. Emergencies, likewise, are not a private GP’s job: chest pain, stroke symptoms or heavy bleeding belong in A&E.
Where paying makes sense
The case for a private GP is strongest when time matters more than the fee. A problem that has been dismissed as stress but keeps coming back. A lump, a mole, a symptom you have been quietly worrying about for weeks while the online booking system offers you a telephone slot in three weeks’ time. A sick note or referral letter you need this week, not next month. Blood tests that would take two visits and a fortnight on the NHS can be taken on the spot and reported within days.
There is also the simple matter of time in the room. NHS appointments are commonly ten minutes. A private consultation is usually twenty to thirty, which changes what can actually be discussed — particularly when symptoms are vague, layered or embarrassing.
What it costs
At our clinic in Central London a GP consultation is £100, with blood tests available in the same visit. There is no registration and no membership fee; you book, you are seen, and your NHS registration is completely unaffected. If something needs specialist care, you can be referred privately or back into the NHS with a letter.
You do not have to choose one or the other
The most sensible way to use private general practice is alongside the NHS, not instead of it. Keep your NHS registration for continuity and prescriptions. Use a private appointment when you need speed, more time, or a second opinion. Many of our patients see us once or twice a year for exactly that, and we routinely write to their NHS GP — with their consent — so the record stays joined up.
Seeing us
AristoGP is at 1-5 Portpool Lane, London EC1N 7UU, four minutes from Chancery Lane. Appointments run Monday to Saturday, often same-day, in English, Greek, Italian and Bulgarian. If you are weighing up whether your problem is worth a private visit, message us on WhatsApp first — we will tell you honestly whether we are the right place for it.