Private Online GP Appointments

NHS GP appointments are often booked weeks in advance and limited to around 10 minutes. A private GP appointment with SwiftDoctor gives you a longer, unhurried consultation with a doctor who can take the time to properly understand your concern, and, where appropriate, issue prescriptions, sick notes, referral letters, or arrange blood tests, without the wait.

Private GP appointments suit anyone who wants faster access to a doctor, a second opinion, continuity of care with the same GP, or support with something an NHS surgery may not offer quickly, such as private blood tests, travel letters, or sick notes.

Yes. You do not need to be registered with a private healthcare provider or have private insurance to book a private GP appointment. Anyone in the UK can book a consultation with SwiftDoctor's GMC-registered GP online, without needing a referral from your NHS surgery.

It depends on your policy. Many private health insurance plans do not automatically include private GP appointments, although some offer them as a standard benefit or optional add-on. If you're unsure what's covered, check your policy documents or speak to your insurer before booking an appointment. Even if your insurance doesn't cover private GP consultations, you can usually pay for them directly.

Same-day appointments are available in most cases, depending on demand. This is significantly faster than typical NHS surgery waiting times.

You'll need to create a SwiftDoctor account and complete a short form before your appointment so your GP has the information they need, but there's no need to be a registered NHS patient with us or switch surgeries.

Yes. All consultations are confidential and handled in line with GDPR and medical data protection standards. Only authorised clinical staff involved in your care can access your records.

We endeavour to help with most types of medical queries, but we do have some limitations due to our licensing requirements (see the non-exhaustive list below).

1. Emergency care: immediate treatment for emergencies such as acute chest pain, stroke, trauma or severe infections requiring in-patient care.
2. Vaccinations: administering vaccines requires an in-person visit to a healthcare provider.
3. Controlled drugs and specialist medications: requests for controlled drugs, opiate-based medications, immunosuppressants or treatments for ADHD are not authorised by our service.
4. COVID antiviral treatments: these medications need to be started by specialist teams and require close monitoring. If you need these medications, please contact NHS 111.

If you have any queries, you can always discuss them with one of our dedicated admin staff. The NHS also gives good advice on its website to help you decide whether you should attend A&E.

No. SwiftDoctor is registered with the CQC to provide care for adults aged 18 and over, so we're unable to offer appointments for children. For a child's health concern, please contact your NHS GP or NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency.