Why become a private GP?
Why GPs move into private work, what it really involves, and how to start without giving up the NHS.
The short answer
Most GPs who move into private practice do it for flexibility: longer appointments, more say over how they run consultations and manage patients’ concerns, and more control over their working week. The trade-offs are real. You take on regulation, indemnity and business risk, and private income does not build your NHS pension. Most GPs start by adding private sessions alongside NHS work.
Key points
- The main draw is time: longer appointments and more control over how you consult and follow up.
- You choose your hours and the mix of NHS and private work.
- Professional standards do not change. GMC guidance, revalidation and, in England, CQC registration still apply.
- You take on costs the NHS usually covers, including indemnity for private work, and private income is not NHS-pensionable.
- There are four common routes in: sessional work, practising privileges, an online provider or your own clinic.
Why so many GPs are looking at private work
This is one of the questions we are asked most often. Interest among UK GPs in working privately, in some form, has never been higher. The reasons are familiar to anyone in general practice: heavy workloads, short appointments, and a growing number of GPs who do not want a full-time NHS role or a partnership. Many are building portfolio careers with a foot in both the NHS and the private sector.
Yet many excellent GPs stall. Regulation, paperwork, indemnity and the business side can look impenetrable from the outside. Most of it is manageable once you break it into steps, and this site exists to help you do that.
More time with each patient
The benefit GPs mention most is time. Private appointments are commonly 15 to 30 minutes, and some services offer an hour. That leaves room to take a full history, deal with more than one problem properly, explain options and agree a plan. It is the kind of general practice many of us trained for.
Patients choose to come back, so continuity and a good relationship matter commercially as well as clinically.
Control over how you work
- Your hours. You decide how many sessions to do and when. Many GPs start with one private session a week.
- Your clinical approach. You still follow the evidence and GMC guidance, but without the targets and time pressures that shape NHS consultations.
- Your services. You can build a practice around interests such as women’s health, sports medicine, travel health or health screening.
Private practice does not mean treating without limits. Patients pay for tests and medicines, so part of good private care is being clear about costs and using NHS services when that is right for the patient.
What stays the same
- GMC registration and revalidation. You still need a licence to practise and an annual appraisal. If you keep NHS work, your NHS appraisal can cover your whole scope of practice, including private work. If you go fully private, you arrange appraisal and a revalidation connection yourself.
- Regulation of the service. In England, a private GP service usually needs CQC registration, either your own or that of the organisation you work for. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulators. See do I need to be registered with the CQC?
- Good record keeping and communication with the patient’s NHS GP.
The trade-offs
- Indemnity. In England the state-backed scheme (CNSGP) covers NHS GP work only. Private work needs its own cover from a medical defence organisation. See indemnity for private work.
- Pension. Private income is not pensionable in the NHS Pension Scheme.
- Business risk. There is no guaranteed income per patient. If you run your own service, you pay for premises, staff and systems whether or not the diary is full.
- Admin. Billing, bookings, records, marketing and compliance take time, unless you join an organisation that handles them.
- Contract rules. If you are an NHS partner, your practice cannot charge its own registered patients for treatment. See restrictions on seeing private patients.
Four routes in
| Route | What it involves | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Sessional or employed work for a private clinic | The clinic handles registration, bookings and billing. You bring your skills and your own indemnity. | Trying private work with little set-up |
| Online provider | Remote consultations for a registered provider | Flexible hours. It is not always representative of what private general practice can be. |
| Practising privileges | Consulting in a private hospital or clinic under its governance | Building your own patient base without running premises |
| Your own service | You register with the regulator, arrange premises and systems and find patients | Full control, and full responsibility |
See are there different types of private GP? and is sessional private GP work available?
You do not have to leave the NHS
Private practice does not have to mean ending your NHS career. Many GPs combine sessions in both, and use private work to change the pace of their week rather than replace NHS work entirely. That is often the lowest-risk way to start: you keep your NHS income, pension and appraisal, and you learn what private work suits you. See can I work privately and in the NHS?
Next steps
- Decide which route fits your life and finances. How much does a private GP earn? helps with the numbers.
- Check the regulatory position for your route and nation.
- Speak to your medical defence organisation before you see any private patient.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common reasons GPs move into private practice?
Longer appointments, more control over how they consult and over their working hours, and the chance to build services around their interests. For some, income is part of it too.
What extra responsibilities do private GPs have?
Depending on the route, you may handle billing, bookings, records, marketing, regulation and indemnity yourself. Joining an established clinic takes most of that off your hands.
Can I try private work without leaving my NHS job?
Yes. Most GPs start with one or two private sessions alongside NHS work. Check your employment contract, and do not see your NHS practice’s registered patients privately.
