We’re very lucky in the UK to have the NHS which provides free health care at the point of delivery. This means that everyone, no matter what their income might be, can access a GP any time they need to, as well as plenty of other medical services. However, with such a demand on the NHS, this does mean that sometimes it’s not as helpful as you might need it to be, and you might consider using a private GP instead. Although this will cost you money whereas the NHS will not, sometimes that will be money well spent. Plus, with revenue cycle management software for health centers, the billing will be a simple matter. Read on to discover some of the benefits of using a private GP.

Speed Of Access

If you want to see an NHS GP, you’ll need to make an appointment, and that appointment could be many weeks in the future. If you don’t have an urgent medical matter to attend to, this might not be so problematic, but if you need help right away (and it’s not something you need to attend a hospital for), then booking an appointment with a private GP will be much quicker.

With lower waiting times, your healthcare issue can be dealt with much faster, and you might even be seen within a few hours of booking your appointment. You’ll even find that you don’t have to wait as long in the waiting room either.

Longer Consultations

When you book a private appointment, you’ll find that the doctor has a lot longer to talk to you. With an NHS GP, most appointments can be no longer than 10 minutes due to the number of people who need to be seen. If you have more than one issue or you feel you might need a more thorough discussion, a private GP is the right choice. The consultation times will vary between 30 minutes to one hour, and this should be enough time to let the doctor know what the problem is and allow them to examine you and determine the issue.

As well as the initial discussion, the doctor will ask more in-depth questions about your family history and your personal medical history. They won’t miss anything out, which makes diagnosis a much simpler process.

Flexibility

When you want to make an appointment with a private GP, you’ll find much more flexibility. Rather than having to take time off work or try to fit your doctor’s appointment in at the only time they could offer even though it’s rather inconvenient, or waiting for longer for an appointment that suits better, the private GP might be able to offer early morning or late evening appointments, or perhaps they would be available at the weekends. Some will have a 24-hour service.

With this being the case, it’s much easier to fit a GP’s appointment in with your life, and there will be much more chance you’ll make the appointment in the first place and then get the treatment you need for your condition. When you can’t find a suitable appointment with an NHS GP, you might not bother at all, making your situation worse in the process.

Image Credits: Karolina Grabowska