Can a private GP refer you to a specialist or back to the NHS?

Can a private GP refer me to a specialist?

Yes. If you need a specialist, a private GP can write a referral letter to a private consultant.

At SABA, your GP can refer you to one of our own consultants, so you can often stay with the same clinic. These include:

• Dr Banchhita Sahu, Consultant Gynaecologist (£300 by video or £450 face to face)
• Mr Nabil Mopuri, Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgeon, for moles and skin lumps (assessment £200)
• Dr Raj Prakash, Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon, for joint and back pain (consultation £250)
• Dr Harsha Gopisetty, Consultant Psychiatrist, for adult ADHD (initial assessment £300)

If you need a specialist we don't have, your GP can refer you to another private hospital or consultant. With your consent, we also send a summary of your visit to your NHS GP, so your records stay joined up.

If you have private medical insurance or a health plan through work, check with your insurer before you see a specialist. Ask whether they need a GP referral letter and which specialists they cover.

Can a private GP refer me to the NHS?

Yes, if you're eligible for NHS care. Private doctors can refer patients into NHS services without the patient going back to their NHS GP first (BMA guidance, 2023).

If an NHS service asks for a referral from your NHS GP instead, we'll send your NHS GP a summary of your visit, with your consent, so they have what they need to refer you.

Need to see a GP about a new problem? Book a private GP appointment in Bishop's Stortford, usually the same or next working day. Call reception on 01279 874388 to check today's availability.

Do I lose my place on the NHS waiting list if I go private?

No. Seeing a private GP doesn't affect your NHS registration, and you can switch between private and NHS care. NHS care shouldn't be withdrawn because you've chosen to pay for some private care (Department of Health guidance).

If you move from private to NHS care, you join the NHS waiting list according to your clinical need. You don't get ahead of other NHS patients because you were seen privately (University Hospitals Sussex private patients policy, 2024).

Will my NHS GP do tests or prescriptions a private doctor asks for?

Not always. Your NHS GP decides whether a test or prescription is right for your care, and doesn't have to carry out a private doctor's requests (BMA guidance, 2023).

At SABA, we arrange any tests you need at the same visit and tell you the cost first. If you'd like your NHS GP to take over a prescription, we'll send them a summary, and it's then their decision.

Which route should I choose?

• You want to see a specialist soon: book a private GP appointment, then a private consultant. At SABA, that can be with one of our own consultants.
• You'd like NHS treatment but a quicker first appointment: see a private GP for an assessment, and ask for an NHS referral or a summary for your NHS GP.
• Your problem isn't urgent and cost matters most: ask your NHS GP for a referral.

Check what each step costs before you book. At SABA, a GP appointment is £135 for 30 minutes, and each consultant's fee is published on our website.

How SABA can help

We're a doctor-founded, CQC-registered clinic at Chapel House, Thremhall Park, just off the A120 near Bishop's Stortford. You'll see a GMC-registered GP face to face for 30 minutes, usually the same or next working day, Monday to Friday (call 01279 874388 to check). If you need a specialist, we can refer you to our own consultants or to the NHS, and there's free parking outside.