For some common medicines a private prescription costs less than the NHS charge. For others, considerably more.
Prices checked against the source, with the date shown
We say plainly where the other option is stronger
Verifiable facts only — no logos, no adjectives
Clinically reviewed by a GMC-registered GP
Care led personally by Dr Khan
Attentive, unhurried care that listens properly
Five-star Google reviews from the people we have looked after
Registered with the Care Quality Commission
The difference is not what most people assume. It is not that one is better medicine — the drug is identical. It is who sets the price, and whether an exemption applies.
Prescription included in the £40 consultation; you pay the pharmacy for the medicine
Standard NHS charge per item in England, or free if exempt
Sometimes genuinely cheaper. The NHS charge is a flat fee per item whatever the drug costs. Many common generics cost the pharmacy only a few pounds, so a private prescription for them can come to less than the NHS charge. It is worth asking.
You can shop around. Private prescription prices are set by each pharmacy and vary substantially. You are free to compare, which you cannot do on an NHS script.
Speed. Issued electronically within about ten minutes, to a pharmacy you choose.
Access to things the NHS does not routinely fund. Some travel medication, some weight management treatment, and medicines outside NHS prescribing criteria.
No dispensing conflict. We do not own a pharmacy and earn nothing from what we prescribe.
Exemptions. If you are exempt from NHS charges — over 60, under 16, pregnant, have a qualifying medical condition, or hold a valid exemption certificate — your NHS prescriptions are free and no private route can beat that. The same applies across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where prescriptions are free for everyone.
Prepayment certificates. If you take several regular medicines, an NHS prepayment certificate caps your annual cost well below what private prescribing would come to.
Expensive medicines. Where a drug genuinely costs the pharmacy a great deal, the flat NHS charge is far cheaper than paying the real price.
Controlled drugs and specialist medicines. Many are simply not available privately, and none of the Schedule 2 and 3 drugs are prescribed remotely by us.
If your NHS practice can supply it and you are exempt, use them. We will say so.
Ask the pharmacy what it will cost before you commit. They will tell you, and the answer varies between pharmacies more than most people expect.
If it turns out the NHS route is cheaper for you, take it. We would rather say so than have you discover it at the counter.
No, not in any respect. Same drug, same manufacturer, same pharmacy.
The only difference is who sets the price you pay.
The pharmacy's cost for the drug plus their dispensing fee. For common generics that is often a few pounds; for newer drugs it can be a great deal more.
Ring and ask before you go. Prices differ between pharmacies.
No. Free prescription entitlements, prepayment certificates and medical exemptions apply only to NHS prescriptions.
If you are exempt, the NHS route is almost always cheaper — and we will tell you that.
Any UK pharmacy. You are not tied to a particular one, and you are not tied to us.
We do not sell medication and take no margin on it, so we have no interest in where you go.
Six months from the date written for most medicines, and shorter for controlled drugs.
Often yes, and that is frequently the sensible outcome. We can write to them explaining what was started and why.
They are not obliged to continue it — that remains their clinical decision, and it is worth asking before assuming.
Yes. We never prescribe opioids or stimulants remotely, and we do not prescribe benzodiazepines or z-drugs for ongoing use.
Some medicines also require shared-care monitoring arrangements that only an NHS practice can hold.
Very often, and we will say so. Omeprazole, cetirizine, hydrocortisone cream, iron and vitamin D are all available without any prescription at all.
Paying a consultation fee to obtain them makes no sense.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Mohammad Zubair Khan, GMC 7563469
Last reviewed
August 29, 2026
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Ongoing
Same-day access is usually available, from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week. You choose a time that suits you rather than waiting on hold at 8am.
Yes. Care is led personally by Dr Mohammad Khan, so you are not passed between clinicians. Continuity is the point of a small practice: someone who knows your history and is listening attentively rather than working through a checklist.
Yes, with your consent. We can access your Summary Care Record during the consultation, so your current medications, allergies and significant history are in the room. That means fewer questions you have already answered elsewhere, and safer prescribing.
No. We are not here to replace GPs, only to support them. Your NHS practice remains responsible for your ongoing care, and with your consent we write to them after the consultation. We are useful when you need to be seen sooner, or want more time than a standard appointment allows.
Twenty unhurried minutes and a comprehensive assessment. A written treatment plan is included, along with any prescription, sick note or referral letter arising from the consultation, at no extra charge.
£40 for 20 minutes, self-pay. Membership is optional and never required. Priced for fairness, because we are not here to charge extortionate amounts for access to a doctor.
It means the diagnosis can usually be made from your history and photographs, and that treatment can be arranged safely without examining you. Where a condition is not marked treatable online, it is because examination is the diagnosis — listening to a chest, feeling an abdomen, examining an ear or a joint — or because a procedure or device is needed.
Yes, where there is a genuine bacterial infection — cellulitis, impetigo, bacterial urine infections, confirmed strep throat. We will also frequently tell you that you do not need one. Most sore throats, coughs, colds and earaches are viral, and an antibiotic gives you the side effects with none of the benefit.
If your problem turns out to be genuinely outside what we can do remotely, the doctor will tell you straight away, point you to the right service, and refund your fee in full. We would rather do that than fill twenty minutes to justify the charge.
Call 999 or go to A&E — do not book an online appointment and do not wait for a reply to an email. For urgent problems that are not emergencies, NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, online or by phone, and can direct you to the right service.
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