Private Healthcare in the UK: Complete Guide for Newcomers
If you’re a new UK resident, you might be a bit overwhelmed trying to understand the different healthcare systems in place.
The NHS – the UK’s public healthcare system – provides care for every UK resident.
But there is a whole other world of healthcare in the UK, and that’s the private healthcare system. This network of doctors, hospitals and services are paid up front, by you, either out of pocket, or through insurance reimbursement.
Here’s my comprehensive guide to private healthcare in the UK: what it is, how it works, how to use it, and why you might want or need to use it in certain circumstances.
Please note: This article is written from my own personal experience as an American immigrant to the UK, who uses both private and NHS healthcare in London, and has experience with several different private health insurance companies.
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1. NHS vs. Private Healthcare: Key Differences
Where I come from in America, there’s only one healthcare system, and you have to use insurance – either through the government or through your employer – to get (semi) affordable care.
In the UK, however, there are two totally different systems you can choose between. You can use one or both. Here’s how they work, and what the differences are.
Funding
The NHS is publicly funded, but it’s not free. Your taxes, your National Insurance contributions, and your Healthcare Surcharge (the fee you paid with your Visa) pay for it.
Private healthcare is paid by you, out of pocket, sometimes with reimbursement from your private medical insurance.
Services Offered
Private healthcare offers pretty much everything the NHS covers, from GPs to surgical interventions to mental health services.
The NHS offers only medically necessary services. Some services, like cosmetic procedures or elective surgeries, are only offered privately in the UK.
The only thing private healthcare does not provide are emergency or life-saving services. There are private urgent care centres, but no private A&E services in the UK.
Cost
Most NHS services are free at point-of-use, except for things like dental care and optical care, for which you can pay discounted rates.
Private healthcare in the UK is expensive compared to NHS services, but it’s not expensive compared to other countries like the United States.
Remember, there are no massive insurance companies here that hike up the prices of everything so they can bill more. Doctors and hospitals can set their own rates.
Here are some example private rates from personal experience in London (as of 2025):
- Private Virtual or in-person GP, same day: £60-£75
- Private Prescription for Antibiotics: £20
- Private Blood Tests: £90
- Private Talk Therapy: £90/hour
- Private ADHD Diagnosis & Treatment Plan: £1500 (not including follow-up care)
If you have private health insurance, you can be reimbursed for all or part of many of these costs, though not everything is covered (explained further below).
Facilities
Private healthcare services have their own offices and facilities outside of NHS hospitals. In London, many private doctors and surgeries are located in and around Harley Street.
Usually, doctors will have their offices in one location, and perform surgeries in a private hospital, of which there are several in London and throughout the UK.
Private facilities are usually much nicer and more modern than NHS facilities, simply because they have more money for upkeep.
Wait Times
Wait times for private healthcare are much shorter than NHS waitlists. You can usually be booked in for private services within a few weeks. The more popular and well-regarded the private doctor, however, the longer their wait list will be.
Wait lists within the NHS are growing longer everyday, especially for childhood mental health and developmental health services. The wait for a child ADHD assessment in London is currently at 3+ years, and the wait for an autism assessment is 5+ years.
Privately, you can get your child a private ADHD assessment in two weeks, you’ll just have to pay (a lot) for it.
2. Why Choose Private Healthcare?
If every UK resident can access the NHS, why would anyone choose to pay for healthcare?
Unfortunately, the NHS is underfunded, understaffed, and cannot always meet the needs of every patient.
Here are some common reasons people in the UK turn to private healthcare.
Faster Service
Most UK residents turn to private healthcare when the NHS cannot meet their needs in a timely way.
Wait lists for specialist services grow longer by the day, so for many, it makes sense to access care faster, if they are financially able.
Private Rooms & Upgraded Facilities
You’ve seen those Victorian dramas where hospitals have “wards”, with beds upon beds lined up in a single room, right? Unfortunately, that’s still the reality for many large NHS hospitals.
Some rooms have 4, 6, 8 or 10 beds, which is much more akin to an American emergency room than a standard hospital room.
For hospital stays, people may choose to go private for upgraded comfort and service. Private hospital stays in the UK are more like the nicer American hospitals, whilst NHS hospitals (especially in large metropolitan areas) are understaffed, underfunded, and simply not very comfortable.
Many women (including Kate Middleton) choose to go private for delivery of their babies, as those few days after delivery are already exhausting enough.
If you don’t want to share a room during your hospital stay, you can choose to go private.
Choosing Your Doctor
Within the NHS, you don’t always get to choose which specialist you see; you’re simply assigned to one. Though you have the right to choose, not all specialists will be able to see you in a timely manner, and you’ll have to settle for one with availability.
In the private sphere, you can find a doctor you feel comfortable with. For surgical procedures, prenatal care, or cancer treatment, finding the right specialist for you might help put your mind at ease.
Medications or Treatments Not Available Within the NHS
Not all medications or treatments are available within the NHS. That is, the NHS has not agreed to provide these within their range of services.
New, experimental, or off-label drugs are often not provided within the NHS, so you’ll have to find a private doctor to prescribe it. See the full list of NHS medications here.
If a procedure is not deemed medically necessary (for instance, if a sinus surgery would help you, but isn’t required), patients will often turn to private care. See the full list of NHS surgical procedures here.
3. Understanding Private Health Insurance
If you’re moving here for a job, your employer may provide private health insurance. But what does that mean, and what does it provide?
The world of health insurance in the UK is VERY different from what you may be used to in America. Here are the basics.
Health Insurance in the UK
Private health insurance in the UK is meant to supplement NHS care, and not to replace it.
You’ll still need to see your GP for general care, as private health insurance does not usually provide you with an ongoing private GP, and is only aimed at one-time appointments or procedures.
Most insurance plans pay through reimbursement, unlike in the US where the doctor will bill your insurance directly.
You’ll pay up front at the private clinic, then submit your receipt for reimbursement from your insurance company.
What Private Health Insurance Covers
Every plan is different, but you can generally expect that private health insurance will cover:
- Same-day private GP appointments, virtually or in-person (they usually have their own app or in-network clinics for this service)
- Consultations with private specialists (sometimes you’ll need a referral from your GP)
- Inpatient and outpatient services (depending on your policy)
- Diagnostic tests & treatments
- Cancer treatment
- Hospice
- Dental care
- Optical tests & eyewear
- Counseling
What Private Health Insurance DOES NOT Cover
Check your policy carefully, but in general, private health insurance in the UK does not usually cover:
- A permanent private GP (usually only as-needed appointments for things like antibiotics, and you won’t always see the same doctor)
- Pre-existing conditions or chronic illnesses (though each policy is different, and you can pay more to have pre-existing conditions covered)
- Emergency care
- Pregnancy & childbirth
- Diagnosis or treatment for Autism or ADHD
- Organ transplants
- Some psychiatric consults (varies per policy, and depends on the condition you’re seeking treatment for)
Global Health Insurance
There are premium policies available, usually called “global” policies. If you’re relocating to the UK temporarily, it’s possible your company may provide one of these policies that will cover you both in your home country and in the UK.
Global health insurance is the cadillac of policies, and it will cover everything from a private ongoing GP to private hospital surgeries and stays, anywhere in the world.
How Much it Costs
If health insurance is not provided by your employer, you can sign up for a plan on your own.
The largest providers in the UK include companies like Aviva, Bupa, Axa, and Vitality.
How much a policy will cost for you depends on several factors, like age, health history, location, and whether or not you’re a smoker.
For a single person, you can expect to pay about £50 per month.
For a family, this might look more like £220 per month, though the level of your plan and your circumstances affect these estimated rates.
Should You Get Private Health Insurance?
The biggest advantage of having private health coverage in the UK is accessing treatment faster. But it depends on exactly what you want or need it to cover.
Many policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, so if you’re hoping it will help you get treatment for ongoing conditions, it likely won’t (there are exceptions, and many different levels of policies available, so do your research).
Private doctors usually have a list of costs on their websites. Compare the annual price of your policy with how much paying for treatments out of pocket would cost. It may or may not be worth it for you, depending on your circumstances.
If you only want private insurance for fast access to a GP (like for antibiotics), it’s not generally worth it, as many private GP services are available both online and in person for affordable rates (explained more below).
4. Accessing Private Healthcare
Seeing a private provider is simple: book an appointment. They’ll usually ask you for any pertinent health history, and a referral from your GP (though not always required).
If you have private health insurance, they’ll have a list of providers that are covered, and you can choose from that list.
If you don’t, do some research and compare the rates of various doctors.
When scheduling your appointment, you will likely need to pay up front to reserve your spot.
Before your appointment, make sure you know:
- How much the appointment costs, and how to be reimbursed by your insurance
- What is covered within the scope of doctor’s services
- What any additional treatment will cost, if it’s needed
- How much any medications will cost
- How much any additional or ongoing appointments will cost
Communication with private providers is much easier and faster than NHS doctors. You can always email the practice to ask questions, get quotes, and ensure that they are within your provider network.
Private Prescriptions
If you get a prescription from a private doctor, you’ll have to pay the pharmacy for it, as that prescription will not be covered under NHS services.
Private prescriptions are physical, paper prescriptions that you can bring to the pharmacy of your choice.
These fees range anywhere from £20-£100 per prescription, depending on the medication.
5. Using Both NHS & Private Services
Most people who use private healthcare providers use a combination of NHS care and private care. They’ll still see their GP for regular and ongoing treatment, but use private healthcare if they run into a roadblock.
Most often, patients turn to private healthcare to be seen faster. The waiting lists for NHS specialists are only getting longer, so you can essentially skip the queue by going private.
But just because you’ve seen a private specialist doesn’t mean you have to keep seeing a private specialist forever.
One-Off Private Services
If you just need a diagnosis or second opinion, the private provider can send their findings to your GP, and you can continue your treatment within the NHS.
Keep in mind that not all conditions work like this; if you need continued care or medication, you may have to keep seeing your private provider for a set amount of time until you can enter into shared care.
Shared Care Agreements
For some diagnosis and conditions, you’ll need to be treated privately for a period of time (for medication titration, for example), and then you can enter into a shared care agreement between your GP and your private doctor.
This is especially common for ADHD and psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, where you’ll be diagnosed and seen privately for ~6 months while you get your medication settled onto the right dose.
After you’re stable, your private doctor will propose a shared care agreement and send it to your GP. This is where your NHS doctor agrees to provide your medication, and will need to be reviewed roughly every 6 months.
You’ll need to book – and pay for – a follow-up with your private provider to update the shared care agreement, though these follow-up appointments are generally cheaper than initial appointments.
Private Surgical Procedures
If you choose to go private for a surgical procedure, you’ll book in with a private specialist for an initial appointment, then schedule your surgery if the doctor agrees it’s necessary.
After your surgery, you’ll have follow-up appointments with your private specialist before they will send your records to your GP.
Sometimes private surgical interventions come in “packages,” where all appointment fees are included in one price, but not always, so be sure to ask for a detailed price breakdown before you book your procedure.
Medical Records & Communication
Private doctors don’t have access to your NHS medical records unless you grant them access or provide them yourself.
Likewise, NHS doctors don’t have access to your private health records unless you – or your private doctors – provide them.
To keep everyone on the same page, it’s important that everyone has all the correct and current information. Ask your private doctor to send your records to your GP, and provide your NHS records to your private doctors.
6. Alternatives to Traditional Private & Public Healthcare
Sometimes, you get stuck in a health bind. Maybe it’s a Friday night, you have an infection, and need to be better by monday.
Luckily, there’s a huge range of affordable options that don’t require you to wait, don’t require you to have private health insurance, and yet don’t cost private doctor prices.
Same Day Private GP Services
There are several virtual & in-person providers in the UK where you can be seen fast, and even get prescriptions. Try services like Push Doctor, Doc Tap, or London Doctor’s Clinic.
Remember, GPs serve all ages here, so these services work for kids, too.
In Person Urgent Care Centres
The NHS has urgent care centres as an alternative to A&E, but if the wait is too long or you can’t get in, try a private urgent treatment centre or walk-in clinic.
These are usually located inside private hospitals in the UK, where you can often be seen quickly and fairly affordably.
Pharmacy First
You can now get treatment for common conditions directly from your pharmacist.
In an effort to free up GP appointments, you can go directly to your pharmacist for medications to treat UTIs, sinusitis, ear infections, and more.
Dial 111
Phone 111, or use 111 online, for any urgent medical concerns. This free NHS helpline is staffed 24 hours a day with medical specialists who can tell you exactly what to do next.
Private vs. Public Healthcare in the UK: It’s Your Choice
If you can afford it, or have private health insurance, the UK’s network of private medical services might be a great option.
If you can’t access what you need within the NHS, or can’t access what you need in a timely way, it may be practical to go private.
Your care us up to you, and though you’re learning an entirely foreign world of medical care, you can learn to navigate it. Make sure to read my complete guide to the NHS for new residents and learn all you can to make the best healthcare decisions for you.
Read More: Moving to London & The UK
How to Set Up Your New Life in the UK
How Much it Costs to Move to the UK
Detailed Breakdown Of Living Expenses In London
