Using a private GP service - is it worth the expensive? - Have you used one?

[JustlookingNotbuying]

So, I have ongoing health issues which have been giving me grief for quite sometime and sadly I feel that I am getting nowhere fast with NHS GP services.

I have quite a few, chronic symptoms which I feel are all interconnected and probably not separate issues.
I present with a list of symptoms (as I am crap at explaining stuff!) and the GP will say they do not have the time to discuss everything in this one appointment so to pick the most pressing issue (which is frustrating as they are all big issues for me).
So I will talk about one of the issues, they then give my a prescription or give out advice etc and say to rebook another appointment to discuss the other issues.
The next availability is always somewhere between 4-6 weeks so by the time I go back, they ask how I got on with meds etc I will say they haven’t helped and we then go back to discussing the first symptom and never get round to discussing all the others, which as I say, I feel are all related to each other.
So basically, for the last few years I have been going round in this cycle of struggling to treat one of my main symptoms but never discussing or tackling the other problems.
It is driving me insane and has resulted in me falling into a deep depression as I am worn down by my symptoms and feel life is passing me by.
I am seriously considering seeing a private GP in the hope that the extra time that I am paying for will allow me to be able to discuss everything in detail and maybe they may be able to see a connection or give me some kind of advice or point me in the direction of someone who can help?

But I know very little about private GP services. Do most people use them for complex issues or acute issues rather than my chronic ones?
Have you used such a service? Are they horrendously expensive?
I am literally at my wits end, am deeply depressed as a result of this NHS merry-go-round I am stuck on and it’s very much having a hugely negative impact on mine and my families live.
I just want to feel heard and if I have to pay for that privilege then I’ll have to even though I can’t really afford it but I am at the end of my rope.

I saw a private GP for a specific reason. Most people use them for either (a) an acute problem that needs sorting out now, or (b) like you, ongoing problems that you need dealing with in a deeper way when your NHS GP won't listen or won't refer you to a specialist. So they could either prescribe you something better, or refer you to a specialist consultant if needed.

The main thing is that the appointment times will generally be a bit longer, and also I'm sure most private GPs will be used to seeing people in your situation, where you've asked the NHS for help for years but not received it.

Each place will charge a different amount, and it totally depends on the location and the exact services, so you can literally just google private GPs in your area, see what they offer, read some reviews etc. Some of the ones in London charge about £90 the first time and then £60 for follow-ups, and they also charge extra for blood tests, but these are usually stated clearly on their website. Also, if you're given a prescription then you'll have to pay a private prescription price for it - which could be literally any amount, since all medicines vary in price. The NHS prescription price is an artificial situation.

I actually once paid £200 to see an ultra-specialist private GP in Harley Street, but this won't be necessary for most people. I saw her because she had a deep personal interest in a specific issue that I was experiencing, it was a one-off, and hopefully won't be necessary again. Most people really won't need that.

They are clear in what they can and can't do and at times I think people use them to make referral and this is often an extra charge. Often used by busy people.

But I would also like to add that if you're really, really unhappy with your NHS GP, you could consider changing GP. I did so a few years ago and the new one is so much better. I actually walked into a local pharmacy and asked them which local surgeries they'd recommend, and they told me straight away. Local, independent pharmacies can be very knowledgeable about these things and people tend to underestimate how much they can help, so it's always worth having a chat. When I was with my old GP, the local pharmacist at the time actually told me about a service that was provided by the GP surgery, which the GP surgery hadn't told me about! So, do use them as a source of knowledge. I'm talking about the small independent ones, not big branches of Boots.

I used one & had a positive experience. I got a 40 minute face to face consultation which gave enough time to explore everything that’s going on. Cost £150 & was worth every penny.

I was getting 6/7 minute phone appointments with my GP. They were useless.

They are not cheap and 'face to face' is way better than an online appointment but they should at least be willing to listen to your full list of symptoms and give a view on what blood tests might throw light and ultimately which specialists might be appropriate if any.

Even private sector referrals can be slow but you can usually see a GP quickly privately.

Thanks everyone, I am definitely going to go for this.
tectonicplates I will have a Google and see if there are any good ones locally. I’ve paid around £200 for a private hospital consultants fee so hopefully it won’t be that much but will pay it if it means getting somewhere. I have changed my surgeries with not much luck, they are all the same here. I’ve lived in our area my entire 49 years and it’s become so very built up and over populated recently and services like our GP surgeries are completely overwhelmed, it’s getting ridiculous but a seemingly common thing everywhere now!

abcd4321 that’s really what I need, to be able to see someone quicker. I am getting so frustrated having to wait 6 weeks between appointments. It’s literally taken me 3-4 years to try and get to the bottom of my issues because of the long, drawn out waiting times.

If it's a quick appointment you want, you can get that with practically any private GP. Some of them even advertise same-day appointments.

I used one last week, same day appointment, tests sent off and prescription dished out. Appointment was £95, test £45 and prescription £55.

Appointment was 15 minutes but previously I've gone over this and it hasn't been an issue or cost more. You're not rushed and you can discuss more than one problem during the appointment.

I use one because it's impossible to get a GP appointment at all where we live, phone at 8am each day and you're cut off if at the front if the queue or your number 30 whatever and you know they'll be no appointments when you finally get to speak to the receptionist.

Of you have private healthcare sometimes they'll cover a certain amount of GP appointments each year and it's much easier to get a referral to a specialist through a private GP.

All our local private hospitals have on site GP services.

Madamecastafiore I’m having issues getting through too. I am almost always in a queue of 20 no matter what time of the day I call. Last week I had to ring three times because when I eventually got through they kept cutting me off! It’s so frustrating.

ive had a private GP since I ended up in A&E with a toddler with severe tonsillitis who had to be seen that day to get antibiotics but the GP refused to see.

It does wind me up when I have ended up paying to get a prescription for Amoxicillin for ear infections for the kids which they need but the NHS gp won’t see them and can’t be more helpful than “go to the walk-in (and wait 6 hours)

However they have been brilliant for things which need more thorough investigation and especially around mental health support. It’s really worth it but really the NHS should be doing what they do. It’s nothing more specialised it’s just they have time and a smaller case load

Yes. When the peri menopause was making my life an absolute misery, I spent 3 years being fobbed off and given the run around by the NHS. Even the supposed specialist NHS menopause clinic was useless and had a 9 month wait between appointments FFS! I was signed off work because my symptoms were so dreadful and I just couldn't function. The low mood, anxiety and joint pain were dreadful.

In the end I saw a private consultant gynaecologist, Prof John Studd who was considered a world authority on menopause. I had 2 appointments lasting 30 minutes each + bloods + bone scan. He correctly diagnosed me and prescribed the correct medication. Within 8 weeks I was back at work and back to my normal, outgoing self.

Unless it's for something very bog standard that just requires anti biotics I haven't seen my NHS GP since. I just don't see the point. DD had an issue a while back, the NHS waiting list was 18 months long. So she saw a private dermatologist immediately and the issue was solved within 2 weeks. Job done

Will private A&E services follow rise of the private GP? These are common overseas and work very well, you get seen and treated fast and no or very limited waiting.

Yes and it's worth it. I haven't seen a GP on the NHS for a few years now. When I can be seen in a couple of days, listened to and have the time to relax and think of all the questions I could have to ask, I'm not going to use the NHS if it can be avoided.

My AXA PPP health insurance comes with a free GP service. Not face to face but you can usually get video or phone calls for the same day, or tomorrow if not. You can also choose a GP with a particular specialism.

I've used it a fair bit, mainly for referrals and they can prescribe medication. Not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for though on the basis that the appointments are usually around 10-15 minutes.

I imagine so.

The local one to me shut during the early part of covid but the private hospital in central London I go to as an outpatient has an A&E/urgent care centre. Mind you, if it's anything like the bills they send me for routine tests and treatments, it is extremely expensive.

It astounds me that GPs cant use common sense and look at a selection of symptoms holistically, each thing seems to be treated (or not even treated) in isolation.

I dont have any help but I could have written your OP

We have three concierge doctors locally one is my old GP from 45 years ago the other two from local NHS surgeries. No idea of cost

You can book a double appointment with your normal GP surgery, just say you need a longer appointment to discuss everything. Also maybe raise it with the practice manager. They oversee the whole practice and can intervene on your behalf if necessary to arrange a longer appointment / different approach.

Have you tried booking two GP appointments so you get longer?

clowerina we crossed posts.

What are the issues? Just thinking you might be better off going straight to a specialist.

Private remote GP appointment times are in the 10-12 minutes range and staffed pretty much by NHS GPs. It makes sense if you have private insurance which will cover your costs and onward referrals. I don’t know about appointment lengths for face to face ones.

The problem is that GPs only know a little bit about an awful lot. Whereas, a consultant knows a huge amount about your particular problem. But waiting to see the consultant through the NHS is just wasting very important time while your condition worsens.

Every private GP or consultant I have ever seen has had a selection of appointment times, to suit me within 5 days. You really can't argue with that. I have already set aside the funds for our DDs to have their (future) babies in a private maternity setting - after the epic and frankly dangerous shit show that was my experience of NHS maternity care. Not risking my daughter's and grand children going through that, thank you.