In short, no. With the right regulatory oversight and indemnity, you can deliver care privately full time or on a completely ad hoc basis. This could simply be ‘as needs’, or you could have regular slots for patients to book into.
Even though there is no minimum number of hours you need to work as a private GP, there are some things to consider which may inform how many hours you choose to work.
Ultimately, your availability will be shaped by the type of service you are looking to deliver to your patients. For example, if you are only looking to treat basic ailments, and are looking to return the patient to the NHS in all cases, then your availability can be limited.
However, if you are looking to deliver a more comprehensive service that some patients will use more exclusively as an alternative to NHS care, then you’ll need to plan contingency care to maintain continuity if you are unavailable.
As with any scope of work you undertake as a GP you will find that a regular commitment allows you to improve your skills and keep up to date within this sector.
If you wish to grow this aspect of your work being available to patients will definitely build your practice, in fact it is probably the most important way you can influence your practice’s growth.
Being a private GP also allows you flexibility to see patients outside normal NHS GP opening times such as evenings and weekends. This can be very advantageous to your patients who may struggle to attend appointments during working hours and can also help to grow your patient base.
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