Should I give patients my phone number as a private GP?
Practice lines, cloud phone apps and direct access: how to offer phone contact safely without giving away your evenings.
The short answer
Only if you have decided how you will manage it. Most private GPs give patients a practice number with set hours and call back as needed, often through a cloud phone app that shows the practice number rather than a personal one. If you offer direct access, define it clearly, record every clinical call and text in the notes, and tell patients what to do when you are not available.
Key points
- Treat phone access as a service decision, write it down and apply it consistently.
- A practice number, or a cloud phone app showing it, avoids handing out your personal mobile.
- Record every clinically relevant call and text in the patient’s notes.
- Tell patients if calls are recorded, and never leave detailed voicemails.
- Voicemail and auto-replies should direct patients to NHS 111 or 999 when you are unavailable.
- If direct access is part of a paid plan, define its hours and limits precisely.
It is a service decision, not just a courtesy
Direct phone access is one of the things some patients pay for, and it can set a private service apart. It also means calls at inconvenient times, clinical advice without the record in front of you, and conversations that are easy to forget to document. Decide deliberately, write the decision into your patient information, and apply it consistently.
There are three workable models:
- Practice number only. Patients call the practice line during set hours. You call back as needed.
- Direct line for some patients. For example, members of a premium plan, or patients in an active episode of care such as the days after a procedure.
- Direct line for all patients. Workable for a small list, but hard to sustain as the practice grows.
How to give access without giving away your personal number
| Option | How it works | Points to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Practice landline or cloud phone system | A practice number that rings at reception or on staff phones, with opening hours and voicemail | Calls can be routed, covered and, if you choose, recorded |
| Cloud phone app on your mobile | An app that makes and receives calls on the practice number from your mobile | Patients see the practice number, not yours; you can switch it off out of hours |
| Separate work mobile | A second phone or SIM used only for patients | Easy to turn off, but texts and photos on it are patient data |
| Your personal mobile | Patients call you directly | Hardest to control; no cover when you are away |
Withholding your number when you ring patients from a personal phone protects your number, but many patients will not answer withheld calls. A cloud phone app that shows the practice number usually works better.
Rules that apply whichever you choose
Record clinical calls
Advice given by phone is clinical care. Record every clinically relevant call and text in the patient’s notes: what was asked, what you advised and any safety-netting. NHS England’s guidance on messaging patients also expects a copy or summary of messages to be kept in the record.
Check who you are speaking to
Confirm the caller’s identity before discussing anything clinical, and be careful if a relative calls on the patient’s behalf. Do not leave detailed voicemails. “Please call the practice” is enough.
Texts and messaging apps
Patients who have your mobile number will text it, and some will send photos. Anything clinical that arrives must reach the record, and images should not stay in your camera roll or a personal messaging app. Tell patients which channels are for clinical questions, and keep confidential detail out of unencrypted replies. See secure email and communicating with patients.
Call recording
If your phone system records calls, tell patients before the conversation starts, for example in the greeting, and say so in your privacy notice. A recording that forms part of care becomes part of the medical record and needs secure storage and a retention period.
Registration and indemnity
Telephone advice is clinical work. In England, remote triage and medical advice is a regulated activity, so check your CQC registration covers it, and tell your indemnity provider if you give advice outside consultations. See CQC registration by service.
Out of hours
If patients can reach you directly, they will call when they are worried, which is often in the evening. Decide in advance:
- the hours you answer, and whether you offer anything outside them
- what your voicemail and auto-replies say: NHS 111 for urgent advice and 999 for emergencies
- who covers when you are on leave or ill, or that nobody does and what patients should do instead.
Offering genuine out-of-hours cover is a bigger step with its own requirements. See out-of-hours services.
If phone access is part of a paid plan
Some practices include direct phone or messaging access in a membership. If you do:
- define it precisely, for example “calls answered 8am to 6pm on weekdays, messages replied to by the next working day”
- say what it does not include, such as emergencies, out-of-hours visits or unlimited consultations
- make sure you can deliver it when you are away
- price in the time it takes.
Patients who pay for access expect it to work. A promise you cannot keep causes more complaints than a clear, limited offer.
Boundaries and your own wellbeing
Constant availability is tiring and makes it harder to keep a professional distance. Patients texting a personal number late at night can drift into a relationship that feels personal. See professional boundaries in private practice.
Make your contact details clear
Whatever you decide, patients must be able to find out how to reach you. Put the practice number, email or portal, opening hours and response times on your website, booking confirmations, letters and email signatures, with the NHS 111 and 999 message alongside.
Frequently asked questions
Is it unprofessional to give patients my mobile number?
Not in itself, but it is hard to manage safely. If you do, use a work number you can switch off, and keep clinical conversations on the record.
Can I charge for phone advice?
Yes. Many private GPs charge for telephone consultations, and some include limited phone access in memberships. Say what is included before the patient uses it.
What should my voicemail say?
Your practice name, hours and when you will call back, plus a clear instruction to call NHS 111 for urgent advice or 999 in an emergency. Mention it if calls are recorded.
Do I need to keep text messages from patients?
Keep a copy or summary of anything clinically relevant in the patient’s record. Delete the originals from your phone once they are filed, in line with your retention policy.
