How much is a private consultation in the UK?

PHIN puts a private specialist consultation at typically between £150 and £300, covering the consultant's time, expertise and professional opinion, normally paid on the day. One UK group's published national list showed an initial consultation at £145 and a private GP appointment at £95, prices correct as at June 2026. Get the exact fee in writing in advance.

Can I see a private consultant without a GP referral?

Many private providers will see you without one, but the NHS advises getting a letter of referral from your GP anyway, because it carries your medical history and the background the specialist needs. Your GP is also not obliged to accept a private specialist's recommendations.

Guide

Private consultation cost: what a first specialist appointment buys

Q: Is the consultation included in the price of private treatment?

Almost never. PHIN states the initial consultation fee is almost never included in the cost of subsequent surgery, even within a fixed-price package. Budget it as a separate purchase, and add it to every quote you compare.

Updated 2026-08-15

The consultation is where private healthcare usually begins, and it is the fee people most often forget to budget for, because it sits outside almost everything that comes after it.

What a consultation fee covers

PHIN, the government-mandated body that publishes information on private healthcare, describes the first specialist appointment as a distinct cost: "This one-off payment, typically between £150 and £300, covers the consultant's time, expertise and professional opinion on your condition. You are paying for their assessment, not a treatment plan at this stage." It adds that "you should get the exact fee in writing in advance of your appointment" and that you will usually pay on the day (PHIN, updated 16 June 2026).

Published list prices exist too. Practice Plus Group's national price list, correct as at June 2026, lists an initial consultation at £145 and states it also includes a nurse assessment, any necessary bloods and swabs and an x-ray if required, while a private GP consultation is listed at £95 and a GP follow-up at £49 (price list).

The part that catches people out

PHIN is unambiguous: "This initial fee is almost never included in the cost of subsequent surgery, even within a fixed-price 'package deal'." So when you compare a private treatment package against another, add the consultation to both. Practice Plus Group's own price list makes the same point from the other direction, noting that "there will be a charge for any diagnostic tests that may be required as a result of your initial consultation".

Consultant fees are set by consultants

Because specialists often work independently rather than as hospital employees, they set their own fees. PHIN notes that consultants can enter their fees and fee arrangements on their PHIN profiles, and that searching a named consultant by name, location or procedure on phin.org.uk will show what is published. For insured patients this matters more than the headline: PHIN calls a shortfall "an unpredictable gap that appears if your consultant charges more than your insurer will pay", and says choosing a fee-assured consultant is the single most effective way to prevent one.

Checking who you are seeing

A consultant working in private practice in the UK should hold registration with a licence to practise on the General Medical Council's medical register, and specialists are recorded on the GMC's specialist register. The GMC register is searchable free of charge.
In England, the clinic or hospital itself must be registered with the Care Quality Commission for the regulated activities it carries out, and CQC requires providers to display their rating where you can see it and on their website (CQC fundamental standards, updated 3 March 2026). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own regulators.
Ask what the fee covers and whether a follow-up is included at a lower rate or a separate full price.

A referral is still worth having

The NHS advises that if you want to see a private specialist, "you're still advised to get a letter of referral from your GP", because the letter gives the specialist essential background such as your medical history (NHS, page last reviewed 12 April 2023). It also notes that your GP is not obliged to accept a private specialist's recommendations, which is worth knowing before you buy an opinion you intend to take back to the NHS.