Seeing a private doctorwhile keeping your NHS GP.

Why does coordination matter?

Your NHS GP may hold years of medical history, prescriptions, allergy records and specialist letters. A private doctor may create new notes, test results or treatment decisions. If each side sees only part of the picture, important information can be missed.

GMC standards require doctors to work with colleagues in ways that serve patients’ interests and protect safety. When medicines are involved, GMC prescribing guidance says a doctor who is not the patient’s regular clinician should seek consent to contact the GP or other treating doctors when more information is needed and to share information with the GP when the episode of care is complete, subject to relevant exceptions. [1] [2]

That does not mean every private visit creates the same sharing process. The amount and timing of information depend on what care is being provided, consent, safety and the systems used by the service.

Who is responsible for medicines?

Ask this question whenever a private clinician prescribes, recommends changing a medicine, or adds something that may interact with your NHS prescriptions.

The clinician who proposes or prescribes a medicine has responsibilities for making a safe decision within their role. Your NHS GP does not automatically take over a private prescription or its monitoring simply because they are your GP. Likewise, a private clinician should not assume the GP knows about a change unless relevant information has been shared through an appropriate route.

GMC prescribing guidance says that if a patient refuses consent for relevant information sharing, the doctor should explain the risks. If lack of information creates a patient-safety risk, the doctor may decide it is not safe to prescribe. [2]

Consent matters, but safety matters too.

Medical information is confidential. Doctors should involve patients in decisions about sharing information and explain why sharing may be useful. GMC decision-making guidance places information exchange and informed consent at the centre of good care. [3]

There can also be situations where a doctor needs information from another clinician to make a safe decision. If you do not want information shared, tell the clinician and ask what that means for the treatment you are considering. The answer may depend on the risk of proceeding without a complete picture.

This is especially important when several prescribers are involved or when a medicine needs monitoring.

Can private and NHS clinicians give different advice?

Yes. Two clinicians may weigh evidence, risk and patient priorities differently. If advice conflicts, do not try to resolve a medicine or diagnosis dispute by choosing whichever answer you prefer.

Ask each clinician to explain the reason for their recommendation. Make sure both know the key facts. If the disagreement involves a prescription, monitoring plan or serious diagnosis, ask who has responsibility for that part of care and whether direct clinician-to-clinician communication is needed.

NICE guidance on multimorbidity stresses the value of clear coordination when people have several conditions, treatments or services involved. It recommends agreeing who is responsible for coordination and how plans are communicated. [4]

What if the private doctor recommends a referral?

A private doctor may advise that a concern needs another medical specialty or an NHS route. Ask whether the referral is intended to be private, through your NHS GP, or handled another way.

Do not assume the GP can simply convert every private recommendation into an NHS referral or prescription. NHS services have their own referral criteria and local pathways. If an NHS route is suggested, give your GP the relevant clinical information and allow them to make the appropriate NHS decision.

If the problem is urgent, use the urgent route that fits the symptoms rather than waiting for routine coordination between services.

A simple coordination checklist

• Keep one current list of prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines and supplements.
• Bring important NHS and private test reports to appointments.
• Ask who owns each prescription and each monitoring task.
• Ask how and when important information can be shared with your GP.
• Do not assume that one electronic record is visible to every clinician.
• Ask what to do if NHS and private advice conflict.
• Know who follows up abnormal or unfinished results.
• Use urgent NHS services when the problem is an emergency or cannot wait for a routine appointment.

How does this apply to functional medicine with Dr Stavy?

The approved practice position is that functional medicine remains integrated with conventional and specialist care. That describes the clinical approach. It does not establish an automatic records-sharing agreement with an NHS GP or one fixed workflow for every patient.

If you are considering the doctor-led functional medicine consultation, bring relevant previous results and a current medicine list. During the visit, ask how any proposed test, prescription or referral should fit with your existing NHS care.

If the approach suits your needs, you may then request an appointment. The coordination plan should be discussed for your actual care rather than assumed from this webpage.

Keep one simple care summary

A short personal summary can help when you move between services. Keep your main diagnoses, allergies, current medicines, recent major tests and the names of clinicians involved in one place. Update it when something important changes.

This is not a replacement for a medical record. It is a practical aid that can help you give the same basic facts to each clinician. If a formal report or result is needed, use the full document and the proper sharing route rather than relying on your own summary.

When a plan changes, note the date, the reason and who made the decision. That makes follow-up much easier.