Private GPs won’t replace the NHS - but they can supercharge access if we get the model right

I keep hearing a hopeful claim: that private GP services will “catch up” with NHS general practice over the next decade. They won’t - and that’s not the goal. The NHS remains the backbone of first-contact care in England, but private GP providers can (and should) play a sharper, complementary role: faster access, targeted prevention, and employer-funded primary care that takes pressure off the system. The smart move over the next ten years is not a zero-sum race. It’s an integrated model where each side does what it does best and communicates that clearly to patients, commissioners, and employers.

At Grey Sergeant PR, this is the lens I bring to strategy and communications for NHS primary care and private providers. The question isn’t “Who wins?” It’s “How do we design, explain, and earn trust for a mixed economy of access that works for people?”

The scale reality (and why “catch up” is the wrong metric)

NHS general practice delivers eye-watering volumes of care every month. Private GP capacity, while growing, is nowhere near that scale. Even with robust expansion in urban, employer and virtual settings, the private side won’t replace the NHS. And that’s fine. The public expects the NHS to remain the default gatekeeper. Private GP services are best positioned to operate as pressure-relief valves and specialist access routes, not as wholesale alternatives.

So, let’s pivot the conversation from parity to value: Where can private GP care have outsized impact without undermining equity or continuity?

How private GP care is paid for (and why it shapes behaviour)

In practice, funding flows drive service design. Today, there are four main routes:

1. Self-pay (pay-as-you-go): Patients book and pay per appointment. This supports rapid access, extended appointment lengths and continuity for those who can afford it. It’s also the most transparent route for pricing and outcomes.

2. Memberships / subscriptions (“concierge” GP): Monthly or annual fees buy discounted or unlimited appointments, digital access and periodic health screens. This model incentivises proactive prevention and relationship-based care.

3. Private medical insurance (PMI): Insurers increasingly bundle 24/7 virtual GP access and, in some cases, a limited number of in-person appointments. This expands availability to millions of people, especially through employer-paid benefits, without patients making a point-of-use decision.

4. Employer-funded primary care: Companies contract private GP services directly (often virtual-first) as part of wellbeing and productivity strategies. This route can be fast, scalable and popular with staff, but it must be carefully integrated with NHS pathways to avoid duplication and confusion.

These payment models don’t just affect cash flow. They shape expectations (speed, convenience), mix (virtual vs. in-person), and case complexity (what’s in scope and what requires NHS referral). Good communications make those edges crystal clear.

Where private GPs add the most value

1) Same-day and out-of-hours access in urban centres.When people can’t wait, private GP services reduce friction. Done well, they keep minor issues from escalating into urgent or emergency care.

2) Prevention and health optimisation.Membership models are built for proactive screening, lifestyle coaching, women’s health, and longitudinal support. Over time, this reduces downstream demand.

3) Employer pathways.Corporate-funded primary care improves speed, reduces absenteeism and connects busy staff to diagnostics and treatment. It’s a powerful complement to NHS capacity, if referrals and data flow are managed properly.

4) Niche and specialist services.From menopause clinics to sports medicine, targeted private services can meet needs that are underserved or delayed elsewhere.

5) Virtual-first convenience.Handled responsibly, with robust safety netting and clear escalation, virtual GP remains a huge unlock for access and satisfaction.

The risks we must manage

Two-tier optics. If private care is perceived as “queue-jumping,” trust erodes. The answer is honest positioning: private access is an additional route, not a replacement, with clear signposting back into NHS care when appropriate.

Fragmentation. Patients shouldn’t have to retell their story six times. Private providers must use interoperable systems, adhere to referral protocols, and share information responsibly with NHS services.

Clinical governance and clarity of scope. Strong triage and boundaries protect patient safety and clinician wellbeing. Publish what you do - and what you don’t.

Value for money. Whether it’s a patient, employer or insurer paying, outcomes and patient-reported experience should be visible and continuously improved.

A better ten-year outcome: complement, don’t compete

The Neighbourhood Health Service approach, community diagnostics, and integrated multidisciplinary teams will define the next decade of NHS primary and community care.

Private GPs can extend this ecosystem by providing surge capacity, off-peak access, and prevention-first services that plug into local pathways. That means:

• Shared protocols for referrals, diagnostics, and safeguarding.

• Clear data-sharing agreements and reporting.

• Joint patient communications that explain the “who, when, and why” of each access route.

• A common language around value: faster access where it helps most, better prevention, less duplication, safer escalation.

The communications playbook I recommend

Whether you’re an NHS leader, a PCN, or a private GP provider, here’s a pragmatic communications plan that works in the real world.

1) Start with a patient-journey map.Document common use cases: urgent same-day issue, repeat prescription, chronic disease review, women’s health concern, mental health check-in. For each, show the fastest safe route, when a private GP helps, and when NHS care is essential. Make this public.

2) Publish scope, pricing, and outcomes.If you’re private, list what’s in scope, your turnaround times for test results and referrals, and your average time-to-appointment. Track and publish patient-reported experience measures. Transparency builds trust.

3) Align with local NHS messages.Use shared language with ICBs and PCNs: prevention, neighbourhood model, “right care, first time.” When you share the narrative, you reduce friction.

4) Build referral and data disciplines.Agree protocols for incoming and outgoing referrals. Avoid dead ends. Ensure patient consent and lawful sharing under UK GDPR. Communicate that process in plain English.

5) Equip reception, front-of-house, and digital endpoints.Your website, phone system, chatbot and reception scripts must give the same guidance, consistently. No mixed messages.

6) Proactive employer communications.If you run corporate GP programs, co-brand guidance with HR: what to use the GP for, what to escalate, how to avoid duplicate appointments, and how to loop back to NHS services.

7) Crisis and issues-ready.Have a short, clear playbook for data incidents, clinical complaints and media interest. Rehearse it. Protect staff and patients with one source of truth.

What this means for leaders

• ICBs and PCNs: Treat private access as part of your demand-and-capacity model. Commission selectively, insist on interoperability, and co-own the patient narrative.

• Private providers: Be the best version of private primary care - fast, safe, transparent, and brilliantly connected to NHS pathways.

• Employers and insurers: Fund access with clinical governance baked in. Push for data standards and joined-up referrals.

My view, plainly

Private GPs won’t catch up to the NHS in scale and they don’t need to. The win is a clear, credible, patient-centred division of labour communicated with honesty. If we tell that story well, we’ll improve experience, reduce friction, and protect the NHS for what only it can do.

That’s the future I’m working toward with clients across the system.

Grey Sergeant PR

I run Grey Sergeant PR & Communications, a specialist consultancy helping GPs, PCNs, ICBs and healthcare providers strengthen reputation, align stakeholders and communicate new models of care. If you’re navigating mixed public-private pathways and want a communications strategy that earns trust, let’s talk.