Private Referrals

What happens when you see a healthcare provider privately?

We understand that some patients will opt to have some or all of their treatment privately, and support your right to do so. However, to prevent any misunderstanding we would like to take this opportunity to explain how the NHS and General Practice work alongside Private providers of care. This leaflet describes what you can expect to happen if you see a clinician privately.

It is important to consider all potential costs when using a private healthcare provider and this includes medicine costs and any follow up medical assessments and investigations.

What do I need to do?

Your GP will write a referral letter if they feel this is appropriate. You will need to contact your Health Insurance Company and/or private provider of your choosing to organise the appointment. Our team are unable to make specific recommendations and choosing who you will see is your decision. It is usual for a referral letter to be requested from the GP, but not always required.

Please note that if an insurance company wishes for a specific form to be completed you may be charged for this additional work. A referral letter may be sent via an online referral system in some cases or available to collect from reception.

What if I want an investigation performed privately? We would usually refer anyone wishing a private test or procedure to a private clinician so they may discuss this further with you. This is so that the most appropriate test can be arranged and so that responsibility for interpretation of the results lies with the private clinician.

Seeing the Private Clinician

What happens if I need a test or procedure?

If the private healthcare provider thinks that you need any tests – including blood tests – or a surgical procedure, then they are responsible for:

 • Arranging tests and any medications that might be needed prior to the test, as well as explaining how and when you will receive a date for the test, and what to do if the date is not suitable for you; • Giving you your results and explaining what they mean. This may be via letter or a further face to face appointment.

Please do not contact the practice to discuss the results of tests organised by other clinicians. It is the Private team’s responsibility to discuss this with you, and the practice may not have access to the results, or be in a position to interpret them.

What happens if I need new medicines?

The private healthcare provider might suggest prescribing new medicines for you or might want to make changes to the medicines that you are already taking. They will be responsible for giving you the first prescription of any new medicine that you need to start taking straight away. Please note if you take a private prescription to any NHS Pharmacy you will have to pay the actual cost of the medication rather than the current NHS standard prescription charge, which may be more or less dependent on the medication prescribed.

In some cases, your GP may not be able to continue to prescribe these medications on an NHS prescription, if the request does not follow the national and local clinical guidelines. To help the practice to review a prescription request for a treatment initiated by the private clinician a full clinic letter from the provider is required, outlining the reasons for treatment, explaining the precise details of the prescription; what it is being used to treat; how long the treatment is intended for; and what monitoring or follow up is required. Even with this information, we will not guarantee that we will offer an NHS prescription in all cases.

There are a number of reasons why your GP may not be able to transfer your private prescription onto an NHS prescription. These include:

• The medicine being recommended on your private prescription is not allowed (blacklisted) on an NHS prescription and so it cannot be prescribed by anyone on the NHS.
• The medicine being recommended is not included in the local medicine formulary and therefore is not provided by your local NHS. A medicine formulary contains a list of preferred local medicine choices. You may be offered a preferred alternative on NHS prescription instead of the medicine on your private prescription.
• The medicine being recommended is only suitable for specialist or specialised prescribing. Normally, NHS specialists and not GPs, would prescribe the medicine. So, GPs may be unfamiliar with the medicine and how it should be prescribed, monitored, and reviewed. GPs would not normally prescribe these medicines on NHS prescription.
• Your GP may not agree with the choice of medicine recommended by your private clinician. You may be offered an alternative on NHS prescription.
• The medicine is not what would normally be prescribed for you first. In your local area other treatments are recommended to be tried and considered first. You may be offered one of these medicines on NHS prescription first.

For further information please refer to the Private Prescriptions guide on the practice website.

What happens if I need to transfer my care back to the NHS?

If after seeing the healthcare provider privately you want to be back under NHS care, national regulations allow for you to transfer back. This transfer ideally needs to be done by the private clinician who is overseeing your care but if this is not possible please request that they write directly to the practice to request this.

What if I need a Fit Note (previously known as Sick Note)?

The private healthcare provider is responsible for issuing you with a Fit Note. The Fit Note should cover the period they expect you to be unfit to work, or until your next contact with them.  You should not need to see or contact your GP to get a Fit Note following any treatment unless your inability to work is unexpectedly prolonged.

What if I need a follow-up appointment?

The private healthcare provider will discuss with you whether you should attend appointments with them for ongoing follow-up care or whether you should be discharged back to your GP.  If the private clinician thinks you do need to be seen again, they will give you another appointment or tell you when to expect this. If you do not hear anything, please contact the private healthcare provider’s office, rather than your GP surgery.