How does a private GP service differ from the NHS?

Aug 13

Tired of rushed 10-minute NHS appointments? Our private GP service gives you the time to actually be heard — without asking you to give up your NHS registration. Stay flexible, dip in when you need to, and let us work alongside your NHS care, not instead of it.

If you've ever sat in an NHS waiting room wondering whether there's another way, you're not alone. More people than ever are exploring private GP care right now — not because they don't value the NHS, but because their time, their health concerns, and their need for continuity deserve more space than a standard appointment allows. At The Lodsworth Clinic, we believe understanding your options is the first step to making the right choice for you.

So many of you have told us how hard it has become to get a proper GP appointment, and how rushed it can feel when you do. We felt it too, and we knew that the same warm, doctor-led, take-our-time approach we bring to skin and aesthetics could make a real difference in primary care as well.

Time to be heard

The average NHS GP appointment is around 10 minutes and, in this fast-paced world, we are all only too aware what a precious commodity time is. And yet, when we need it most, it's not there. The NHS offers a brilliant service, free of charge to everyone, but this undervalued resource is stretched beyond its limits.

Our private service means our experienced GPs can offer you extended appointment times. This means you actually get to finish your sentences — and, moreover, it means we get to hear the second thing: the one most patients only mention almost in passing on the way out the door, when really it's the thing that's been bothering them all along.

More time allows for a deep dive into all areas of your life: your background, social interactions, lifestyle choices, and mental as well as physical health. These are all so incredibly important, so deeply intertwined, and so fundamental to your care.

Alongside the NHS, not instead of it

People often assume going private means you have to opt out of the NHS completely. But this is not the case at all! Our ethos is very much to work alongside it. You can remain registered with your NHS GP and simply dip in and out of our service, booking an appointment at a time that suits you. This added flexibility simply gives you more options. We will communicate with your GP where necessary to ensure continuity of care.

Tests, results and referrals

We offer blood tests with quick turnaround results, as well as specialist referrals. And if something comes up and you'd like to be referred back into the NHS, then this is absolutely no problem. If we need to make a referral for further tests or specialist services, then the choice is yours. We can happily refer you back into the NHS, to any of our network of expert specialists, or indeed one of your own choosing.