Medical work · United Kingdom
Working in private medicine in the UK
Private medical work in the UK covers a much wider range of settings than traditional independent hospitals.
Doctors may work across private GP services, specialist clinics, occupational health, women’s health, dermatology, fertility, mental health and other independent healthcare services.
Hospitals, clinics and independent services
An independent hospital appointment may involve inpatient care, theatre work or outpatient clinics. A smaller specialist clinic might focus on consultations and defined procedures, while a private GP service may offer general consultations and additional clinical services. Ask about the patient group, referral pathways, multidisciplinary team, facilities and who is responsible for clinical governance.
In England, the Care Quality Commission describes independent doctor and clinic services and the activities within its registration remit. Provider regulation differs across the UK nations. Check the provider and site relevant to the actual role rather than assuming all private services operate under the same arrangement.
Sources: CQC: independent doctor and clinic services · CQC: scope of registration
Private GP and GP-led services
A private GP role may combine broad primary care with longer appointments, preventative services or an additional clinical interest. Occupational health, women’s health, menopause care and GP-led dermatology are examples where the actual employer, training and clinical remit should be examined.
A GP with a clinical interest does not automatically hold formal specialist registration in another discipline. Consultant dermatology, fertility and psychiatry appointments may require different qualifications, recognition and service responsibilities.
Sources: GMC: GP and specialist registration
Specialist private medicine
Dermatology, fertility and women’s health services can involve both GP-led care and consultant-level specialist appointments. Private psychiatry can span outpatient clinics, hospitals and specialist mental-health services. Aesthetic medicine roles need assessment of the proposed procedures, training, professional registration and prescribing responsibilities.
Do not infer scope of practice from a clinic’s marketing label. Establish the practitioner grade, clinical privileges, supervision, referral and escalation arrangements and whether the service expects a consultant, GP or another appropriately registered professional.
Permanent, sessional and portfolio work
A doctor may consider a permanent role, set clinical sessions or a portfolio combining commitments in different settings. The contract should identify the employment or contractor status, expected patient activity, administrative time, site requirements and payment for cancellations or follow-up work.
If private work sits alongside another post, check scheduling, employer permissions, professional indemnity, conflicts of interest and information-governance arrangements. What works for one doctor’s portfolio may be unsuitable for another.
Registration and the employer brief
UK medical practice requires the appropriate GMC registration and licence to practise; GP and specialist registers are separate where relevant. For doctors trained overseas, the application route and right to work must be established for the actual post.
Before committing, ask who refers patients, how the service is regulated, what clinical decisions the doctor makes independently, who provides cover, what indemnity is required and how remuneration is calculated. The particulars of the employer and position should drive the decision.
Sources: GMC: register as a doctor