Private GP Appointments and Prescriptions in Knightsbridge: A Guide

What is a private GP appointment and how does it work?

A private GP appointment is a consultation with a GMC-registered doctor that you pay for directly, usually booked without registering or needing a referral. It typically includes a history, examination where needed, advice, and a plan that may involve a prescription, tests or referral. You stay registered with your NHS GP.

Private general practice works on a pay-per-appointment basis. You choose when to book, and many clinics offer same-day or next-day slots. In England, independent doctors and clinics are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and every doctor must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), whose online register lets you check a doctor’s registration. Knowing both before you book is a simple safety step.

1. Book directly

   By phone, message or online. No referral is needed. Say briefly what the appointment is for so the right length of slot is booked.

2. Prepare

   Bring a list of current medicines with doses, allergies, recent test results and, if you have one, a summary from your NHS GP record.

3. Consultation

   The doctor takes a history, examines you where needed, explains what they think is going on and discusses options with you.

4. Plan

   You leave with advice and, where appropriate, a private prescription, blood tests or scans, or a referral letter.

5. Follow-up and sharing

   Results are reviewed and explained, and with your consent a summary is sent to your NHS GP so your records stay up to date.

At Levirgo, private GP appointments are available same-day and next-day, typically last up to 30 minutes, and can be booked by phone, WhatsApp or online. A friend or family member is welcome to join you, and multilingual staff are available on request.

NHS GP vs private GP: what is the difference?

The main differences are cost, access and time. NHS GP care is free at the point of use and coordinates your long-term care. A private GP charges per appointment but often offers faster booking and longer consultations. In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76.7% rated their NHS practice positively overall.

Private and NHS general practice are not in competition for most people; they do different jobs. NHS general practice holds your full medical record, manages long-term conditions, runs screening and vaccination programmes, and is free. Private general practice is useful when you want to be seen quickly, want more time with a doctor, are visiting London without a local GP, or need services the NHS does not usually provide, such as travel or employment medicals.

What can a private GP help with, and what are the limits?

A private GP can assess new symptoms, review medicines, issue private prescriptions, arrange blood tests and scans, provide certain medical reports and letters, and refer you to specialists. Private GPs are not an emergency service, cannot see your NHS record automatically, and usually work alongside your NHS GP for complex long-term care.

• New or worrying symptoms that you would like assessed promptly
• General health checks and discussions about women’s and men’s health
• Skin concerns such as acne, eczema, rashes and changing moles, through a doctor-led dermatology consultation
• Medication reviews and new or repeat private prescriptions where clinically appropriate
• Blood tests, ultrasound and scans arranged with fast turnaround
• Weight and hormone concerns, including conditions such as PCOS and medical weight management
• Specialist referrals to private consultants, or advice on NHS referral routes

There are limits. A private GP does not have automatic access to your NHS record, so they rely on what you tell them and on information you share. Some medicines, particularly controlled drugs, have extra rules and may not be prescribed at a first appointment. Complex or unstable long-term conditions are generally best managed with your NHS GP and specialists, with private care supporting rather than replacing that. And a clinic appointment is never the right choice in an emergency.

How much does a private GP appointment cost in London?

In London, a standard private GP consultation typically costs about £95 to £250, with longer or complex appointments around £180 to £350. Private prescriptions, letters and tests are usually charged separately: about £15 to £40 for issuing a prescription, plus the pharmacy’s charge for the medicine, and £60 to £300 for blood test panels.

Some private medical insurance policies include a GP service or cover private GP visits; many do not cover routine GP care. Check your policy and ask for an itemised receipt if you plan to claim. For current Levirgo appointment availability and fees, book online or contact the clinic.

What is a private prescription?

A private prescription is a prescription written outside the NHS, for which you pay the full price the pharmacy charges for the medicine. It must meet the same legal requirements as any prescription: signed by the prescriber, with their address, the date, the type of prescriber, and your name and address. Most are valid for 6 months.

The legal rules for prescription-only medicines are set out in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Regulation 217 lists the conditions a prescription must meet for a pharmacy to supply a prescription-only medicine against it. These apply whether the prescription is NHS or private, although electronic prescriptions and controlled drugs have additional rules.

A private prescription can be repeatable. If the prescriber does not say how many times it can be dispensed, the law allows it to be dispensed no more than twice, or for an oral contraceptive up to six times within six months. At Levirgo, private prescriptions are issued only after a consultation and only where clinically appropriate, with same-day prescriptions available when needed.

How do pharmacies dispense private prescriptions, and what will I pay?

You take a private prescription to a community pharmacy of your choice, which checks it and sets the price, usually based on the medicine’s cost plus a dispensing fee. The NHS charge of £9.90 per item in England does not apply, and neither do free prescription exemptions or prepayment certificates, so prices vary between pharmacies.

Because pharmacies set their own private prices, it can be worth phoning two or three for a quote on an expensive medicine. For some inexpensive medicines, a private prescription can cost less than the NHS charge; for newer or specialist medicines it can cost far more. Pharmacists also make their own professional checks and can decline to supply if something is unclear or unsafe, so make sure the prescription is legible and complete.

1. Check the prescription before leaving the clinic: your name, address, the medicine, strength, dose and quantity.
2. Choose a pharmacy and, for anything costly or unusual, ask whether it is in stock and what it will cost.
3. Hand it in or arrange an electronic transfer if your prescriber offers it.
4. Pay the pharmacy’s price and keep the receipt if you might claim on insurance.
5. Keep your medicine information and tell your NHS GP about new medicines, so your record stays complete.

Can a private GP prescribe controlled drugs?

Yes, but with stricter rules. In England, private prescriptions for Schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs must be written on form FP10PCD with the prescriber’s six-digit identification number. Prescriptions for Schedule 2, 3 and 4 drugs are valid for only 28 days, and supplies are usually limited to 30 days.

Controlled drugs are medicines with potential for misuse or dependence, such as strong opioid painkillers, some sleeping tablets and certain stimulants. They are divided into schedules with different legal controls. Private prescriptions for Schedule 2 and 3 drugs are monitored: pharmacies in England submit FP10PCD forms to NHS Prescription Services each month for audit.

General Medical Council guidance asks doctors who are not a patient’s regular GP to seek consent to contact that GP when more information is needed before prescribing, and to explain the risks if the patient refuses. If not sharing information would put the patient at risk, the doctor should explain that they cannot prescribe and signpost alternatives.

Can I use private and NHS care together?

Yes. Government guidance states that the NHS should not withdraw NHS care because a patient chooses to pay for additional private care, but the two must be delivered separately. Your NHS GP can prescribe a medicine suggested privately if it is clinically appropriate and they accept responsibility, but is not obliged to.

The Department of Health guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care came into force in March 2009. Its key points are that NHS organisations should not withdraw NHS care simply because a patient buys additional private care, that private care must be delivered separately from NHS care, and that the NHS should continue to provide free of charge all the care the patient would have been entitled to anyway.

In practice, the smoothest approach is to tell both doctors what the other is doing. If a private GP starts a medicine you expect to take long term, agree early who will prescribe and monitor it, so there is no gap when you run out.

Referrals, tests, fit notes and medical letters

A private GP can arrange tests and scans and refer you to specialists. For work, you can self-certify for the first 7 days of sickness. After that you need a fit note; doctors in private practice who are not treating you as an NHS patient provide a report that meets the fit note rules instead of the NHS form.

• Tests and imaging: blood tests, ultrasound and scans can be arranged privately, with results explained and, with consent, shared with your GP.
• Specialist referrals: to a private consultant of your choice; for NHS specialist care, your NHS GP usually makes or confirms the referral within local pathways.
• Fit notes: employees must give their employer a fit note if ill for more than 7 days in a row. NHS fit notes for more than 7 days are free; a fee may apply for 7 days or less.
• Private fit note equivalents: government guidance says doctors in private practice not treating NHS patients produce a report containing the required information, which counts as a form “to like effect”.
• Letters and reports: for insurance, travel, school or employment, usually charged as a separate administrative fee.

If you are worried about a mole, Levirgo also offers single mole checks and full-body mole and blemish checks, and our skin treatments page covers removal options once a lesion has been assessed.

When should I use NHS 111, 999 or A&E instead?

Call 999 for life-threatening emergencies such as a suspected heart attack or stroke. Go to A&E for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies. Use NHS 111 online or by phone if you need urgent help and are not sure where to go, or your GP is closed. A private GP clinic is not an emergency service.

For urgent but non-emergency needs outside usual hours, Levirgo can arrange out-of-hours private GP appointments on request, subject to availability. If symptoms worsen while you wait, use NHS 111 or call 999.

Private GP care at Levirgo in Knightsbridge

Levirgo offers same-day and next-day private GP appointments at 6 Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, a few minutes’ walk from Harrods and Knightsbridge Underground station on the Piccadilly line. Consultations typically last up to 30 minutes, no referral is needed, and prescriptions, tests and referrals can be arranged where appropriate.

• Time to talk: unhurried consultations, typically up to 30 minutes.
• Fast access: same-day and next-day appointments, with out-of-hours appointments on request.
• Joined-up services: prescriptions, dermatology consultations, mole checks and medical weight management in one clinic.
• Tests and referrals: private blood tests, ultrasound and scans with fast turnaround, and referrals through trusted partners.
• Discreet and central: convenient for Belgravia, Chelsea, Mayfair and Sloane Square.