NHS GPs with Private Clinic

[Digestification]

I don’t know what to think about this. I’ve discovered that the two senior partners at my GP practice have opened a private clinic, specialising in Botox, fillers and the like and weight loss treatments. The practice manager is also a partner in the new clinic.

The last time I called the NHS practice for an appointment, I was 36 in the call queue. It’s virtually impossible to get to see a GP, with most appointments being telephone only. The last time I had a telephone appointment, the GP was a trainee and was useless.

Clearly the two senior partners and their practice manager are too busy with their private work, to bother with their NHS patients.

This feels all sorts of wrong to me. What does anyone else think?

It’s not that they are too busy with private work. It’s simply that they aren’t fully employed in the NHS. Most GPs don’t work FT technically, even though they may work near 40 hours a week. If the practice wanted more GP time, it could buy it in, assuming the funding is there.

I mean, yes, it would put me off and I’d probably change GPs, but lots of GPs do private work outside of what they are contracted to do for the NHS. That doesn’t explain the waiting time though because they could better staff the surgery, if they wanted to.

@mindutopia thanks for your post, it does clarify the situation somewhat.

Hospital consultants also undertake private practice.
This is how the NHS works, it's built into contracts

Honestly don't see the problem

The NHS is an utterly woeful health service but those working for, or holding contracts with it, aren't owned by it.

they're doing it on their days off not their NHS time. It's not making a difference to NHS appointment availability.

Thanks for your posts everyone. I guess I just wish the NHS service provided was better but then don’t we all wish for that?

Are they definitely doing mostly Botox and fillers? I’d be surprised if many GPs are highly qualified in that area. Obviously almost anyone can do them but if I was paying for a doctor I’d go to a specialist.

If I could afford and needed WLI then I would pay and you could certainly make an argument that this will likely save the nhs money and will be better supervised than buying online.

If they are also offering general medical care the once again they are supporting the nhs.

GPs are vastly overworking during their paid shifts. Good luck to them for taking the easier option as they reach the senior level.

Can you honestly say you wouldn’t?

Yes definitely Botox and fillers.

Locally we have a NHS GP surgery who has opened a private GP surgery right next door! The same GPs. It does stipulate they will not take patients that are registered with the GP practice next door privately, but I did think that was a bit cheeky, but it is totally within the rules.

I'm not sure how GP services work.

Chat GPT says:
Global Sum payment per weighted patient is £121.79,

GP practices in the UK have contractual and ethical obligations to their patients, ensuring access to primary care services. Here’s a breakdown of their key responsibilities:
Core Obligations

• Access to Care: Practices must provide an appropriate response when patients contact them—whether in person, by phone, or online.
• Appointments: They must offer timely consultations, either in-person, via telephone, or video, based on clinical urgency.
• Emergency Treatment: GPs have a duty to provide immediately necessary treatment free of charge for up to 14 days, even for unregistered patients.
• Patient Registration: Anyone can register with a GP, regardless of nationality or residential status. Practices cannot refuse registration based on race, gender, social class, or medical condition.
• Confidentiality & Dignity: GPs must respect patient privacy, protect personal data, and treat individuals with dignity.

Additional Responsibilities

• Care Navigation: Practices may direct patients to appropriate services if an alternative provider is better suited to their needs.
• Health Inequality Support: They must ensure vulnerable groups—such as homeless individuals—can access care without barriers.
• Communication & Partnership: GPs should listen to patients, involve them in decisions, and support informed choices about their health.

I'd ring up and speak to the practice manager next time you can't get an appointment.
I did many years ago (they instantly offered me an appointment) and went a few times to the patient consultation group they used to have.

One of my friends is a GP who does botox and fillers. It's so profitable that she only does 1 day a week as a GP now.

Yes, it is the same with NHS dentists too.

Of course it is! GPs are choosing to do private work instead of NHS work which means we have less GPs working therefore less appointments. That's not a negative against GPs, they should be allowed to work as many or as few hours as they want, but to say it doesn't impact appointments is ridiculous.

For everyone, take a look at the sum that the GP gets per patient per year.

People pay more than that to insure their pets, and pet insurance isn't unlimited visits, no excess to pay.

Yes, many people don't visit their GP - I haven't been to mine for years, but there are people who have contact with their GP dozens of times per year: the population is getting older and sicker, more complex healthcare issues, more drugs that need monitoring.

So, you think that GPs should only be allowed to do NHS work during their days off?

If they weren't doing this lower intensity more profitable private work, they might choose not do any extra work. It's not a case that they are not doing their NHS work, they are doing this in addition to their NHS work.

No, that's not even close to what I said! GPs (and other doctors) are increasingly choosing not to work full time in the NHS so that they have time to do private work, (which is of course their prerogative). But if GPs spent all of their working hours in the NHS instead of splitting their working hours between NHS and private, there would be more GP availability therefore more appointments. It's simple maths.

Exactly this. Definitely a growing thing

they're not on full time jobs anyway. As pp says, they can do what they like with their free time.

Not made any easier by government rules about not hiring more GPs but I wonder if the change to PA stuff might free up funding.

If you had the choice to do a few days work that were less stressful, where people didn’t constantly shout at you and belittle you, you weren’t making hundreds of high risk decisions in suboptimal conditions, had time to pee, didn’t have to do admin going well into the night and could make more money… wouldn’t you?

Need to make being a GP more sustainable and attractive I’d say.

There are risks with injecting botox & fillers to be fair!

where would the funding for that come from?

Pretty much every GP that you’ve seen as an NHS patient, is a salaried employee at the private business you consider to be your “NHS GP Surgery”. The others will be partners in the business. It’s a vastly overlooked fact that practices are businesses that “profit” off the NHS, just like any other private business that holds an NHS contract. Sometimes GPs are direct NHS employees but it’s extremely rare. The “profit” in running a GP practice on an NHS contract is also very minimal.

So, completely reasonable that they provide whatever other services they want to.

but lack of GPs is not the problem. There are loads of unemployed GPs. It's lack of funding to hire them that's the issue. If they could afford to have more GPs, they are available. GPs doing private work is not what is leading to lack of appointments.

The NHS is managed by crazy ‘computer said no’ managers!

it’s shocking

What’s the issue??

I think you have overlooked the fact that GP's are self employed and provide NHS services on a commissioned basis.

Whilst I have little time for the too frequent arrogance and ineptitude, notwithstanding the fact that interactions with the practice are usually poor largely because GP's pay their reception/admin staff minimum wage, their salaries have not kept pace with those of other professionals. For me to suppprt an increase, however, I'd want to see better standards.

The average salary declared at my old GP practice was £79k. It's a huge practice. Some of the things their Partners do:

Private dermatology clinic
2 Partners do sessions as private GPs at our local private hospitals
2 Partners are directors of a private facility from which the NHS commissions services.
1 Partner is the Dr to the local public school.

None of the GPs work full time and the practice hoovers up every little practice where the GPs retire. The service is dreadful.

The Partners are self employed and can do what they like. The other GPs are salaried and employed by the practice not the NHS and again none work full-time.