Private GP service

Our private GP service is designed to complement the NHS GP system and allows you to see a GP at times to suit you when you can’t or would rather not see an NHS GP.

Yes, all consultations are confidential; we will only pass on important medical information to your GP with your permission.

Appointments are 20 minutes in duration; however, we aim to allow plenty of time for you to discuss your symptoms and concerns with the GP. The cost for the private GP consultation is £95 and must be paid at time of booking.

We recommend only discussing one health issue per appointment. This is to allow you the maximum amount of time to fully discuss it with your GP so they can establish the best course of action for you and concentrate on helping you to feel better.

All private GP appointments need to be booked and paid for in advance, but we can book short notice appointments on the day if there are still appointments available.

There are a number of issues that private GPs would not be able to see you for, these are detailed below.

A private GP at our facilities cannot see you for:

• Any workplace medicals, or medicals for visa applications. If this is a service you require, we recommend that you go through your NHS GP
• Diagnosis or management of mental health conditions
• Controlled drugs. There are certain controlled drugs that our private GPs cannot prescribe. Click here for a full list.
• 24 hour health cover of emergency medicine
• Repeat prescriptions, except where the GP at KIMS Hospital or Sevenoaks Medical Centre has initiated the treatment
• Minor surgery
• Ongoing monitoring of long-term conditions where the NHS would be more appropriate
• Routinely using the service for sick notes for conditions that the GP has not been treating you for
• Applications for shot gun licences & firearms certificates

It is important to remember that GPs you see at our facilities are not a replacement for your normal NHS GP. We encourage our patients to share the details of the consultation with their own GP to make sure that medical records are as up to date as possible, with no missing information. Therefore, with your permission, following your appointment with one of the private GPs we will send a copy of the clinic letter to your NHS GP, ensuring they have a full record of your health.

You will pay for your consultation at the time of booking your appointment. We accept payment by credit or debit card. Please note that we do not accept cash payments.

If you require a follow up consultation, the cost will also be £95. You can pay this at the reception desk or over the telephone when booking the appointment.

If you need any scans or tests, the private GP can refer you, and you can choose to have these at KIMS Hospital or Sevenoaks Medical Centre. You will be made aware of prices and appointment availability during your appointment.

Most blood tests can be taken on the day of the appointment. You may be asked to come back on the Monday if you have a Saturday appointment.

Most scans are available to be booked within one week of the appointment. The GP will complete a request form for you to take to the Imaging Department to find a suitable appointment.

Blood test results will normally take two working days to be processed. Scan reports can take between 5-10 days depending on the Radiologist and type of scan. Your GP will discuss with you how the results will be given, this may be via letter, telephone call or a follow up appointment. Please note that if a follow up appointment is booked this will have an additional cost of £95.

You will receive an invoice from us for any scans and tests that are done. To pay for this you can call our finance department on 01622 538110.

Every insurance policy is different, and you’ll need to contact your health insurance provider to enquire if you have this cover in your policy. Even if the GP appointment is not covered, your insurance provider may cover you for any scans or tests required.

Your GP can write you a private prescription, our pharmacy department are temporarily unable to dispensing Private Outpatient prescriptions. If you need a repeat prescription, you will need to book another appointment to see the GP first. There are certain controlled drugs that our private GPs cannot prescribe. Click here for a full list.

GPs at KIMS Hospital and Sevenoaks Medical Centre work alongside expert Consultants to provide you with a seamless service. If you need a referral, the GP will provide a written referral letter and our enquiries team will contact you to book an appropriate appointment with a Consultant. Please note that these GPs can’t provide NHS referrals.

You will not be charged a fee for cancelling an appointment but please let us know as soon as you can that you need to cancel.

Your NHS records are kept securely by your NHS GP practice, so your private GP at KIMS Hospital or Sevenoaks Medical Centre will not have access to any of your NHS records. However, you are welcome to bring a physical copy of any relevant NHS documents you keep if you feel that it will be beneficial to your appointment with one of our private GPs.

The private GP is unable to refer you directly into an NHS pathway. New NHS referrals are only able to be generated by your NHS GP, who can refer you to your chosen provider via the eRS System. The private GP is able to refer you directly to a specialist at KIMS Hospital or Sevenoaks Medical Centre on a private basis. If you wish to proceed via an NHS Pathway, the private GP will write to your NHS GP detailing the results of any diagnostics undertaken at KIMS Hospital or Sevenoaks Medical Centre, together with their recommendations.

Please can we ask that you arrive to the department 10 minutes before your given appointment time.  To ensure you receive the best service, if you are 10 minutes or later for your appointment our team will need to rearrange it for you.  We will try to reschedule your appointment to be on the same day, but in the event that this is not possible we will make it for the soonest available appointment with one of our Private GPs on another day.