Private GP in Surbiton: When to Book a Private Appointment

Most people in the UK are strong supporters of the NHS. But there are specific situations where the NHS cannot give you what you need in the time you need it — and where a private GP appointment represents a practical solution rather than a luxury.

Lambert Medical Practice has operated as a private GP and specialist clinic in Surbiton since 2018. This guide explains honestly when it makes sense to pay for a private appointment, what you can expect from the consultation, and how the process works.

1. When You Need an Appointment Today or Tomorrow

The most common reason people book a private GP is straightforward: they cannot get an NHS appointment quickly enough. NHS GP appointment availability has significantly worsened over the past decade. A 2024 survey by the British Medical Association found that 1 in 4 patients wait more than two weeks for a non-urgent NHS GP appointment, and many report being unable to get an appointment for a month or more.

At Lambert Medical Practice, same-day and next-day appointments are routinely available for a wide range of concerns — a new symptom you want assessed, a prescription you need continued, a referral letter you require, or a health matter that is worrying you enough to seek prompt attention.

Situations that are not emergencies but need timely attention — a skin lesion that has changed, blood results you want interpreted, an STI test, a suspected infection — are ideal for private GP.

2. When You Need a Specialist Referral Without the Wait

To see a specialist on the NHS, you normally need a referral letter from your GP. Getting that letter requires a GP appointment first — which may take weeks. Then the specialist waiting time begins, which for many specialties currently exceeds 6–18 months.

A private GP can write a referral letter at your consultation, that same day, to any private specialist of your choice — a cardiologist, orthopaedic surgeon, rheumatologist, dermatologist, gynaecologist. Private consultant waiting times are typically 1–2 weeks.

Importantly, a private GP referral letter can also be used to access NHS care. You do not need an NHS GP referral to see an NHS consultant — a referral letter from any registered UK GP is accepted. Some patients use a private GP appointment purely to obtain a referral letter faster, while still choosing to use their NHS referral to manage the subsequent cost.

3. When You Need a Fit Note, Medical Certificate or Legal Document

GPs can issue a range of certificates and letters that have legal, occupational or administrative weight. These include:

• Fit notes (sick notes): You can self-certify illness for the first 7 days, but after that an employer requires a fit note from a doctor. A private GP can issue one at your consultation.
• Fit to fly certificates: Required by airlines and travel insurers for patients who have recently had surgery, are in late pregnancy, have a recent hospital admission, or travel with certain medical conditions.
• DVLA medical assessments: Certain medical conditions (diabetes, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease) must be reported to DVLA. A DVLA medical report from a GP is required as part of the process.
• Insurance medicals and reports: Pre-employment medicals, occupational health reports, insurance medicals, and medical evidence for legal proceedings.
• Travel vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis assessment: Planning a trip to a region requiring or recommending vaccination? A private GP can assess, prescribe and administer vaccinations.

4. When You Want a Longer Consultation with Time to Think

NHS GP appointments are typically 10 minutes. This is enough time for a single, focused concern — but not adequate for a complex medical history, a decision about starting or stopping a medication, interpreting a full set of blood results, or discussing multiple symptoms that may or may not be related.

Private GP appointments at Lambert Medical Practice are 20–30 minutes as standard. This is not a small difference — it means your GP has time to:

• Take a thorough history and examine you properly
• Review your previous results and letters in detail
• Explain findings clearly and answer your questions
• Arrange blood tests, referrals and follow-up at the same appointment
• Write to your NHS GP with a summary of the consultation

For patients managing a chronic condition, those who have multiple symptoms they want to discuss at once, or those who feel rushed in NHS appointments and are leaving without understanding their situation, a longer private consultation can be significantly more valuable.

5. When You Want Proactive Health Screening

NHS GPs are primarily reactive — they respond to symptoms and referrals. Proactive health screening — checking for cardiovascular disease risk, diabetes, thyroid disorders, low ferritin, vitamin deficiencies, or early markers of disease in asymptomatic patients — is not routinely offered unless you have specific risk factors or are on a disease register.

At Lambert Medical Practice, private GP appointments can include comprehensive blood panels, ECG, blood pressure and cardiovascular risk assessment, lifestyle review, and proactive screening appropriate to your age and risk profile. Many patients combine a private GP consultation with a blood test panel to get a detailed picture of their health that goes beyond what the NHS offers.

What Does a Private GP Appointment at Lambert Medical Involve?

When you book a private GP appointment, here is what to expect:

Appointment pricing is published on the Lambert Medical pricing page. Appointments can also be claimed through most private health insurance plans — contact your insurer in advance to confirm cover.

Frequently Asked Questions