The booking page has been open in a browser tab since Sunday. You have never paid to see a doctor before, and part of you feels you should not need to, while another part has been carrying the same problem for long enough to stop pretending it will sort itself out. The questions in your head are practical: who you will see, what happens in the room and what it will cost by the time you leave.
Those are the right questions for a first private GP appointment, and each has a plain answer. Knowing what the 30 minutes holds is also the simplest way to make good use of it, so here is the longer version.
Chest pain, signs of a stroke, severe breathlessness, heavy bleeding, a severe allergic reaction or symptoms of sepsis need 999 or A&E immediately. For urgent advice that cannot wait, call NHS 111.
What happens in a first private GP appointment?
You arrive at 466 Green Lanes, give your name and wait a few minutes. The doctor you booked is the doctor you see, and the 30 minutes is yours. If you have never been to a private clinic before, the difference you notice is less about the room and more about the time.
What I look at in clinic starts with the reason you came, in your words. I try not to interrupt for the first few minutes, because the order in which people tell a story carries information of its own. Then I fill in the shape: when it started, what has changed, what you have tried and what you are worried it might be. That last question matters more than it sounds. The worry is often more specific than the symptom, and answering it directly is part of the care.
Next comes the background. Past illnesses and operations, current medicines and doses, allergies, family history where it is relevant, and the parts of life that shape health: work, sleep, alcohol, smoking and who is at home. None of this is box ticking. The piece most people miss is the second layer. Tiredness that turns out to have a cause in the blood. Back pain that sits on top of a low mood. A sleep problem that is really a money problem. A longer appointment gives that layer time to come up without being chased.
Many people arrive at a first appointment after several short ones elsewhere, each of which dealt with a fragment of the problem. Part of the job is putting the fragments back in order: the result from one visit, the advice from another, the letter that seemed to contradict both. I would much rather read the paperwork you bring than have you summarise it from memory while feeling rushed.
Then the examination, aimed at the question rather than performed for its own sake. Blood pressure and pulse almost always. A chest listened to, an abdomen felt, a joint moved or a patch of skin looked at under good light, depending on what brought you in. If something needs a test, I explain what it is for and what the result would change. Tests are priced separately from the consultation and the prices are published on the site, so you can see the cost before you agree to anything.
The last part of the appointment is the plan. What I think is going on, what we will do about it, what you should watch for and when to come back. I give a concrete window wherever I can, 2 weeks, 6 weeks or once the results are in, rather than the vague "if it does not get better". If a specialist opinion is needed, a referral letter is written where clinically appropriate after assessment, and it is included in the consultation fee. With your consent, a summary goes to your NHS GP, because private care here works alongside the NHS rather than replacing it.
Sometimes the honest answer at the end of 30 minutes is that I do not know yet. That is a legitimate place to be, as long as there is a plan for finding out and a date to look again. It is a better place than a confident answer that has not earned its confidence.
What should you bring to your first appointment?
These make the 30 minutes go further:
- A list of your medicines with their doses, or the boxes themselves.
- Any hospital correspondence, discharge summaries or recent results.
- The question you most want answered, written at the top of a short list.
- The name of your NHS practice, if you would like a summary shared with them.
- Your glasses or hearing aid, or someone to come with you, if that makes things easier.
If you only manage one of these, make it the list of questions. People often save the one that matters most until the door is opening, and it deserves better than the last 30 seconds.
When is a booked appointment the wrong place to start?
Some problems should not wait for a booking at all. The emergency signs above need 999, and NHS 111 is there when you are unsure whether something can wait. Come in sooner than you had planned if:
- A symptom is getting steadily worse rather than holding steady.
- You have lost weight without trying.
- You have found a new lump, or noticed bleeding that is new for you.
- A fever has lasted more than a few days.
- You have not been coping, at home or at work, for several weeks.
How do appointments work at Clinique Alpa?
You can book online or call. A clinic consultation is 30 minutes with a named doctor at 466 Green Lanes for £100. The fee is shown before you pay. There is no registration fee and no membership. The clinic is open Monday to Friday 09:00 to 20:00 and Sunday 09:30 to 17:30, and is closed on Saturday.
If your problem does not need an examination, a video consultation with Dr Alpa J. Morawala is £79.99 for 30 minutes. If getting here is the difficulty, a home visit lasts 60 minutes and is from £250 on a weekday, from £325 at weekends and bank holidays and from £450 for an evening start, with travel priced by postcode. If you are unsure which suits you, I have written about choosing between clinic, video and a home visit, and every fee is listed on appointments and fees. If you already have a diagnosis and would like it looked at again, see getting a second opinion.
Written by Dr Mitesh Parmar, MBBS MRCGP, Principal GP and Clinical Director at Clinique Alpa, 466 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, London N13 5PA. This article is general information, not personal medical advice. In an emergency call 999. For NHS advice call 111 or visit nhs.uk.