# Private and NHS care: plan the handover https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/ Publisher: Med Easy Source material checked: 2026-10-20 Editorial information; no registered-clinician review is claimed. General UK healthcare information. Country-specific rules and provider examples retain the limits stated in the text. Fees are dated examples, not live quotes. ## Short answer You can receive NHS and private care, but the responsibilities and funding need to be clear. A private report or recommendation does not automatically transfer tests, prescribing or follow-up to the NHS. Agree the receiving clinician, accepted plan and next appointment before relying on a handover, and understand the private cost if it is not accepted. A private appointment can answer one question and create several next steps. Agree who will handle them before you rely on a transfer. ## Key points - Sending a report is different from a clinician accepting responsibility. - Keep a named owner for every test, result and prescription review. - Budget for continuing private care until another arrangement is confirmed. ## Keep entitlement and funding separate Paying for private treatment does not remove NHS entitlement or automatically change an NHS waiting-list position. NHS and private elements should remain distinct. The NHS does not subsidise a private package simply because part of the care is also available through an NHS service. A private report is useful clinical information, but it is not an instruction to another clinician. A request to transfer prescribing, order tests or provide follow-up needs to be considered by the receiving service under its own responsibilities and rules. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/#keep-entitlement-and-funding-separate ## Agree who owns each next step Make a simple handover list: the action, the responsible clinician, when it is due and how the result reaches you. Include blood tests, scans, prescription reviews and the appointment that explains the findings. An action with no named owner is worth clarifying. Who orders and pays for the next test? Who reviews the result and acts on an abnormal finding? Who issues the next prescription? Who can you contact between appointments? What happens if an NHS service cannot accept the proposed arrangement? Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/#agree-who-owns-each-next-step ## What to request from the private provider Ask for a readable clinical summary, relevant results, the treatment plan and any monitoring requirements. Confirm that your usual GP can receive the information through an appropriate channel. Keep your own copies so the same history does not have to be reconstructed later. If the provider proposes ongoing treatment, ask for its private follow-up cost as well as the hoped-for NHS arrangement. That makes the financial position clear if a transfer is not agreed. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/#what-to-request-from-the-private-provider ## Before you stop paying privately Confirm that a receiving clinician has accepted responsibility and that the practical arrangements are in place. A letter being sent, a referral being submitted and a prescription being accepted are different stages. Do not treat one as proof of the next. For weight-management treatment, use the relevant NHS access guide and discuss timing with the prescriber. Price comparison helps organise a budget; it does not replace a safe clinical handover. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/#before-you-stop-paying-privately - [NHS access guide](https://www.med-easy.co.uk/nhs-weight-loss/) ## Questions to ask - Has the receiving clinician explicitly accepted the proposed responsibility? - Who orders, pays for and reviews each outstanding test? - Does the handover include the current treatment and monitoring plan? - When is the next review due, and which service will arrange it? - What is the agreed plan if the transfer is declined or delayed? ## Frequently asked questions ### Will my NHS GP automatically prescribe a private recommendation? No automatic transfer should be assumed. The GP must consider whether they can appropriately take responsibility, including any monitoring and specialist support required. Ask both services about the proposed arrangement and retain the private follow-up option until an alternative has actually been agreed. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/#faq-1 ### Does paying privately move me up an NHS waiting list? Paying for private care does not automatically change NHS priority. A report may provide relevant clinical information, but the receiving NHS service considers it within its own pathway. Ask how to submit the report and how any referral or review decision will be communicated. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/#faq-2 ### What should a handover pack contain? Request the clinical summary, relevant results, treatment plan and monitoring requirements, along with the private clinician’s contact details. Clarify outstanding actions and dates. Keep your own copies, and check that sending the documents has led to an acknowledged plan rather than assuming receipt means acceptance. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/#faq-3 ## Sources - [NHS patient information: private treatment and NHS care](https://collingwoodsurgery.nhs.uk/jubilee-park/common-questions/nhs-services-and-treatmentsif-i-pay-for-private-treatment-how-will-my-nhs-care-be-affected) — NHS or public authority - [PHIN: self-funding private treatment](https://www.phin.org.uk/help/self-funding-your-private-treatment) — Provider or specialist organisation ## Related guides - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-gp-referral-and-prescription-costs/ - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-adhd-assessment-costs/ - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/prepare-for-healthcare-appointment/