As a private GP, how do I find local private clinicians and consultants?

Why your referral list matters

Private patients expect a named specialist, a short wait and a clear idea of cost. Your referral list shapes all three, and patients judge your service partly by the people you send them to. It is also a clinical safety question. You need to know who you are referring to, what they do well and how quickly they will write back.

Most private GPs build the list over their first year, starting with the handful of specialties they use most. For many that means dermatology, gynaecology, orthopaedics, cardiology, gastroenterology and mental health.

Where to find names

• Colleagues. Ask GPs already in private practice locally, and NHS colleagues who know the consultants’ NHS work. Personal recommendation is still how most referral relationships start.
• Local private hospitals. Many run education evenings for local GPs (Spire and Nuffield Health hospitals, for example, list CPD events for GPs) and have staff whose job is to link GPs with their consultants. Consulting from a private hospital, for example under practising privileges, puts you in the same corridor as its specialists.
• NHS trusts with private patient units. Many NHS consultants also see private patients, sometimes in their own trust’s private unit.
• The Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN). PHIN is the government-mandated body that publishes information about private hospitals and consultants. Its consultant profiles show areas of expertise, the hospitals they work at, patient numbers, patient feedback and, where supplied, fees.
• Commercial directories and review sites such as Doctify and Top Doctors. They are a useful starting point, but treat them as marketing platforms, not as verification.
• Peer networks. Local private GP groups and messaging groups are often the quickest way to get a recommendation for an unusual problem. See keeping in touch with your peers.

Checking a specialist before you refer

A recommendation is a start. Before you add someone to your list, check the basics.

Check	Where
Doctor’s registration, licence and specialist register entry	The GMC’s online register shows the specialties a doctor is registered in and when they joined the specialist register
Physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, dietitians and other allied health professionals	The Health and Care Professions Council register
Counsellors and other roles with no statutory regulator	A register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority
Private work, fees and patient feedback	The consultant’s PHIN profile and their own fee information
Which insurers recognise them	Ask their secretary, or ask the patient to check with their insurer

GMC guidance on delegation and referral says you will usually refer to a regulated service or a professional registered with a statutory regulator. Where someone is not, registration on an accredited voluntary register gives some assurance. You must not refer to someone you know has been suspended or erased.

Beyond paperwork, ask for a short conversation or meet at a local event. Find out how quickly they see new patients, how they send letters back, whether they offer remote or telephone follow-up, and what they expect from you afterwards.

Referring insured patients

Many private medical insurance policies do not pay for private GP appointments, but insured patients often need a GP referral to claim for specialist care. See whether insurance covers private GP appointments.

Insurers may restrict which consultants a patient can see. Bupa, for example, tells GPs that some of its customers have an open referral policy: you write a normal referral letter naming the type of specialist rather than a consultant, and when the patient calls to pre-authorise, Bupa offers a choice of up to three consultants it recognises.

So before you name a consultant for an insured patient, ask them to call their insurer. It saves an unexpected bill and a second letter.

What consultants must tell patients

The Competition and Markets Authority’s Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order 2014 requires private hospital operators to make consultants give patients written information before an outpatient consultation. It includes the estimated cost, any financial interest the consultant has in the facility or equipment used, the insurers that recognise them, and a pointer to PHIN. Knowing this helps you set patients’ expectations and spot a consultant who does not follow the rules.

Keeping referrals free of incentives

The same CMA order defines a referring clinician as anyone who can refer patients for tests or treatment at a private hospital, which includes private GPs. It bans private hospital operators from offering incentives to refer, and bans clinicians from accepting them. Examples include payments linked to the number of patients referred and discounted rooms or services linked to the revenue you bring in.

Refer on clinical grounds and the patient’s preferences, including cost and location, and declare any interest you do have. See how to handle conflicts of interest.

Making the relationship work

• Write a good referral letter. Include the question you want answered, relevant history, medication, results and whether the patient is self-paying or insured.
• Agree who does what next. If a specialist asks you to prescribe or monitor, agree in writing who is responsible for which tests and when care passes back.
• Close the loop. Make sure specialist letters come back to you and that the patient’s NHS GP hears what they need to. See sending notes back to the NHS GP.
• Know the NHS routes too. Some patients will want or need NHS care. See making NHS referrals as a private GP.

Keep the list current

Keep a simple directory with each specialist’s specialties, locations, insurers recognised, typical wait, how they prefer referrals and your notes. Review it at least once a year, and after any complaint or poor experience. Ask patients how the referral went. Their feedback is the best guide to whether a name should stay on the list.