Are GP Surgeries Privately Owned?
This blog explains whether GP surgeries in the UK are privately owned. The answer being yes, it explains the layering of the ownerships, fee structures, and processing steps of the healthcare systems. The blog explains how an NHS surgery is owned privately and how the whole business works, how GPs get paid, and when patients have to pay from their own pockets. The blog concludes with a few commonly asked questions regarding GP surgeries privately owned.
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Our private clinic offers same-day and next-day appointments with experienced, GMC-registered GPs.
Are GP Surgeries Privately Owned?
It’s one of those questions people type into Google at 11 pm while waiting on hold with their surgery: “Are GP surgeries privately owned? It sounds simple, but the answer is usually layered.
The private GP surgeries are technically private clinics/businesses. They charge you a fee for consultation, medication, and any type of treatment. While NHS surgeries are private, they’re free of cost as they have a partnership with the NHS where the NHS compensates for each patient.
Who Owns GP Surgeries?
Since the founding of the NHS in 1948, GPs have never been directly employed by the state. They have always operated as independent contractors who are paid by the NHS to provide services. Most GPs at the time worked from their own homes and did not want to become government employees.
The result is a hybrid model that exists to the current date, where GP surgeries are private businesses legally, but some are partnered with the national health system, and the government pays the private owners (mostly GPs) for the services they offer to the public.
On the other hand, there are private GP surgeries that operate privately. They have no contract with the NHS, and they ask the patient to pay the full fee for the consultation and the treatment.
The Three Types of GP Contract
GMS | PMS | APMS | |
Full name | General Medical Services | Personal Medical Services | Alternative Provider Medical Services |
Who runs it | GP partners (the doctors themselves) | GP partners, with some local flexibility | Anyone, private companies, charities, NHS trusts |
How common is it? | ~70% of all GP surgeries | Uncommon, being phased out | ~3% of surgeries |
Who sets the rules? | NHS England + BMA nationally | Agreed locally between GPs and the NHS | Agreed locally, more flexibility |
Is it free to patients? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The simple version | Your standard family GP surgery | A slightly tweaked version of the above | A GP surgery run by a business or charity instead of doctors |
GMS: the classic GP surgery your parents and grandparents used. Doctors own and run it.
PMS: basically the same thing, just with a locally tailored contract. Fading out.
APMS: the controversial one. A company or organisation (not necessarily doctors) runs the surgery, still free to patients, but a profit motive may be involved.
Are GP Surgeries Private in the Way a Private Clinic Is?
When most people ask “are GP surgeries private?” they really want to know: do I have to pay? Are these doctors working for shareholders rather than for my health?
If it’s an NHS GP surgery, whether run by a GP partnership or a private company, it will deliver free care. As a patient, you will not pay a penny. GPs earn through the NHS contract.
A private GP clinic is different. It operates entirely outside NHS commissioning. Patients pay for each consultation. People go to private clinics because it gives them quick access, detailed assessments, and a personalised experience.
Both types of GP are fully qualified, GMC-registered doctors. The difference in clinical competence doesn’t exist.
Here’s How This Can Affect You As a Patient
The NHS GP surgery has a structure and a process. The average NHS GP has approximately 2,200 registered patients, and an average consultation lasts for 10 minutes. There are long waiting times.
On the other hand, private GP surgeries/clinics are private businesses that offer the same or even more detailed care in return for your money. They’re willing to provide you with detailed treatment quickly.
NHS GP vs Private GP: Quick Comparison
Feature | NHS GP Surgery | Our Private Clinic |
Appointment wait | Days to weeks | Same day or next day |
Consultation length | 10 minutes avg. | 30 minutes |
Specialist referral | Weeks to months | Days, often the same week |
On-site diagnostics | Limited | Blood tests, scans, ECG |
Appointment flexibility | Ring at 8 am, hope for the best | Evenings, weekends, online |
Continuity of care | Variable | Dedicated GP every time |
Cost | Free at the point of use | Transparent, per-consultation fee |
Private care is not for everyone, and we would never suggest abandoning your NHS GP registration. Your NHS GP holds your long-term medical record and provides ongoing care that private consultations support in case of urgency or detailed assessment.
What If the NHS GP System Isn’t Working for You?
If you have landed on this page, there is a reasonable chance you are frustrated. Perhaps you have been waiting weeks for a routine appointment. The solution is a private GP surgery that operates out of the NHS system.
- Same-day or next-day appointments.
- 30-minute detailed consultations.
- A consistent GP.
- Direct access to diagnostics.
- Flexible scheduling.
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Conclusion
Private GP surgeries are privately owned, and some of the NHS GP surgeries are also owned privately with an NHS contract.
The NHS does not directly own surgeries, they own hospitals through trusts, NHS community health centres, and walk-in centres in some areas.
