Are there different types of private GP?
Sessional, practising privileges, your own clinic, online, home-visiting and membership services, and special interests: how the main models differ in risk, regulation and income.
The short answer
Yes. Private GPs do the same clinical work in several different arrangements: sessional or employed work for a private provider, practising privileges at a hospital or clinic, running their own clinic, online or remote services, home-visiting and membership models, and services built around a special interest. The biggest difference between them is who carries the regulator registration, the business risk and the patient relationship, and many GPs combine one of them with NHS work.
Key points
- The clinical work is general practice in every model. What changes is who runs the business and holds the registration.
- Sessional work and practising privileges let you start without registering your own service.
- Running your own clinic or online service usually means registering with the CQC in England yourself.
- Membership, home-visiting and special-interest services are business models layered on top of these routes.
- Most GPs start part time alongside NHS work and change model as they learn what suits them.
Same medicine, different arrangements
A private GP can see the same range of problems as an NHS GP. What varies is the arrangement around the consultation: who employs or hosts you, who is registered with the regulator, who finds the patients, and who carries the financial risk. Thinking about it this way makes the choice clearer. See what private general practice is for the basics.
The main routes
| Route | Who is registered with the regulator | Business risk | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sessional or employed | The provider you work for | Low | GPs trying private work alongside the NHS |
| Practising privileges | Usually the host hospital or clinic | Low to moderate | GPs who want their own patients without premises |
| Own clinic | You or your company | High | GPs who want control of the whole service |
| Online or remote | You or your company, or the platform you work for | Varies | GPs who want flexible hours or a wide reach |
Sessional or employed
You work shifts or sessions for an established private GP provider, such as a clinic, a group, or a company that provides GP services to employers or insurers. The provider handles registration, premises, systems, marketing and billing, and pays you per session or a salary. It is the easiest way to see whether private work suits you. See sessional private GP work.
Practising privileges
A private hospital or clinic grants you permission to see your own patients on its premises, under its governance. You usually bill patients yourself and pay the host for rooms and services. The CQC’s guidance on doctors in independent practice treats practising privileges from a designated body in the same way as employment for one of its exemptions. See practising privileges.
Your own clinic
You set up and run the service, alone or with colleagues. You choose the premises, fees, systems and staff, and you carry the risk. In England, treatment of disease, disorder or injury is a regulated activity, and running your own clinic usually means registering with the CQC. The narrow exemption for doctors working in a consulting room does not extend to remote consultations or treatment elsewhere. See running a private practice by yourself and CQC registration for private GPs.
Online and remote services
Some private GPs consult mainly by video or phone, either for an online provider or through their own service. Remote advice is itself a regulated activity in England. GMC guidance applies the same standards to remote prescribing as to face-to-face care, and patients who are abroad at the time may be subject to that country’s rules. See video appointments in private practice.
Business models within those routes
- Pay per appointment. The simplest model. Patients pay for each consultation and any tests.
- Membership or subscription. Patients pay monthly or yearly for a set level of access. Income is more predictable, but you must be able to deliver what you promise.
- Home and hotel visits. Visiting patients where they are, often in cities or for older patients. Higher fees, more travel and lone-working risks.
- Corporate contracts. Health checks, medicals and GP access for employers’ staff.
- Special interests. Services built around an area such as menopause, weight management, travel health, men’s health or minor surgery. These usually need extra training and sometimes extra registration. See what a private GP can treat.
Combining with NHS work
Most GPs start private work part time while keeping NHS sessions. That is usually possible, but check your NHS contract, avoid seeing your NHS practice’s registered patients privately, and keep the two services separate. See working as a private GP and in the NHS and the restrictions on seeing private patients in NHS practices.
Choosing a route
Ask yourself three questions:
- How much business risk do I want? Sessional work and practising privileges carry the least.
- How much control do I want over how I practise? Your own clinic gives the most.
- Where are my patients? Online services reach further, while home visits and clinics depend on the local market.
Many GPs move between routes. A common path is sessional work first, then practising privileges or a small clinic once they know the demand. For the reasons GPs choose private work at all, see why become a private GP.
Outside England
The same routes exist across the UK, but independent services are registered by Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and the RQIA in Northern Ireland, each with its own rules on who must register.
Frequently asked questions
Which type of private GP work is easiest to start?
Sessional work for an established provider, because the provider handles registration, premises and patients. It is a low-risk way to test private work.
Is concierge medicine a separate type of practice?
It is a business model rather than a separate route. A membership or concierge service still needs the same registration, indemnity and records as any other private GP service.
Do I need to register with the CQC to work online?
If you run the service yourself in England, usually yes. The exemption for doctors in consulting rooms does not cover remote consultations. If you work for an online provider, it holds the registration.
Is occupational health the same as private GP work?
They overlap, for example in employer health checks, but occupational medicine is a separate specialty. Some roles need occupational health qualifications, so check before taking them on.
