Primary care
Private GP appointments: what it costs, and the NHS wait
What a private GP appointment costs, what the fee covers and what it does not, and how quickly NHS practices are currently seeing patients.
Prices checked 9 Nov 2026
Lowest price we found
£59
up to £89, across 4 published prices
Typical price
£89
the middle of 4 published prices
NHS GP, England
About 4 in 10
appointments took place the day they were booked (September 2026)
In short
The lowest published self-pay price we found for private gp was £89 (15-minute face-to-face GP appointment) at Bupa Centre - Bristol, and the highest was £89. All 4 prices were checked on the providers’ own websites on 9 November 2026.
On the NHS, 45.0% of GP practice appointments in England in September 2026 took place on the day they were booked (NHS England).
Private GP by city
Published prices
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Bupa Centre - BristolBristol · CQC Good15-minute face-to-face GP appointmentBupa's national price table for health-centre appointments. The same page's FAQ quotes £79 for 15 minutes, so confirm when booking.Source checked 9 Nov 2026£8930 min £159
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Bupa Centre - ManchesterManchester · CQC Good15-minute face-to-face GP appointmentBupa's national price table for health-centre appointments. The same page's FAQ quotes £79 for 15 minutes, so confirm when booking.Source checked 9 Nov 2026£8930 min £159
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Bupa Centre - LeedsLeeds · CQC Good15-minute face-to-face GP appointmentBupa's national price table for health-centre appointments. The same page's FAQ quotes £79 for 15 minutes, so confirm when booking.Source checked 9 Nov 2026£8930 min £159
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Bupa (remote GP)National price, applies across the UK15-minute phone or video GP appointment, weekdayBupa's national pay-as-you-go price. Medicines and tests cost extra. Evening and weekend slots cost more.Source checked 9 Nov 2026£5930 min £99
Named hospitals and clinics first, then national prices, each lowest first. Each price is what the provider published on the date shown, not a quote. Consultant fees, tests and follow-up care may be extra. Nobody pays to be listed.
What you are paying for
A private GP appointment is priced by length and format. Most providers sell 15-minute slots for a single concern and longer slots for anything more involved, and a phone or video call is usually cheaper than seeing someone in person.
The fee normally covers the consultation only. Blood tests, scans, referral letters, follow-up appointments and any private prescription are charged separately, and medicines are paid for at the pharmacy at its private price rather than the NHS prescription charge.
Before you book
Ask how long the slot is and whether a longer one is recommended for a first visit. Ask what happens if the GP suggests a test: who does it, what it costs and how the result reaches you.
Check whether the GP can write to your NHS practice with the outcome. Bupa, for example, states that its GPs cannot refer patients into NHS hospital care but can, with permission, write to the patient’s NHS GP. Staying registered with an NHS practice keeps your full record in one place.
Checking who you see
Every doctor practising in the UK must be on the General Medical Council’s register, which is free to search. Clinics that provide doctors’ consultations must be registered with the Care Quality Commission in England, and each clinic profile on this site links to its CQC page.
How quickly NHS practices see patients
| 45.0% | of GP practice appointments in England took place on the day they were booked (September 2026) |
|---|---|
| 80.8% | took place within 14 days of booking |
| City and NHS area | Same day | Within 14 days |
|---|---|---|
| Truro: NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board | 45.0% | 77.2% |
| Bristol: NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board | 37.0% | 76.5% |
| Manchester: NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board | 44.2% | 81.9% |
| Birmingham: NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board | 50.8% | 87.5% |
| Leeds: NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board | 46.1% | 80.1% |
| London: NHS West and North London Integrated Care Board | 48.2% | 88.2% |
Appointments recorded in GP practice appointment books (practice systems only; PCN appointment systems are not included in the ICB breakdown). Time is from booking to appointment date, not from first contact.
Source: NHS England, Appointments in General Practice, September 2026 data, published 29 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. See the full local picture on Waiting Times UK.
Common questions
Do I need insurance to see a private GP?
No. Most private GP services take self-paying patients. Some insurance policies and employer schemes include a remote GP service, so it is worth checking your policy first.
Does a private GP replace my NHS GP?
No. A private appointment is a one-off service. Providers such as Bupa advise staying registered with an NHS practice.
Can a private GP refer me to an NHS hospital?
Generally not directly. A private GP can refer you to private specialists, or write to your NHS GP, who decides on any NHS referral.
What to expect
Looking for the practical detail — referral, the day itself, and what a published price usually covers? Read our what to expect guide.
Where these figures come from
Prices: read from each provider’s own website on the date shown next to each price.
Source: NHS England, Appointments in General Practice, September 2026 data, published 29 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. See the full local picture on Waiting Times UK.
Independent. We’re not part of the NHS or any hospital, we’re not clinicians, and nothing here is medical advice. Hospitals can’t pay to appear or to change their position.