If you are thinking about using a private health provider—whether through self‑funding or private health insurance—we strongly encourage you to speak with one of our doctors beforehand. This allows us to help you understand how any private treatment may interact with your NHS care.

Please note that GPs are not usually able to recommend specific private specialists or clinics. We advise patients to carry out their own research to ensure that any private healthcare provider is safe, reputable, and appropriate for their needs.

Callander Medical Practice is contracted to provide NHS services on behalf of NHS Forth Valley. As such, we are not under any obligation to follow requests made by private healthcare providers, and any involvement from our clinicians will remain in line with our NHS General Medical Services contract.

If you decide to explore private healthcare, we encourage you to start by researching specialists or clinics that feel right for you. Patients with private health insurance should check with their insurer first, as many companies have approved specialists or specific pathways you must follow. Once you have an idea of where you’d like to be seen, you can book an appointment with a GP to discuss your referral.

Your GP can provide a referral letter to the private provider of your choice. If your insurer or private clinic requires information in a particular format, such as completing their own forms, this is classed as a private service and may carry a fee from the Practice.

Once your referral letter is complete, you should contact the private provider directly to arrange your appointment and manage any changes or queries. After the GP has made the referral, all further communication, scheduling, tests results and follow-up arrangements are managed by your private provider.

The Practice is not responsible for organising appointments, pursuing results or co-ordinating any aspect of your private care. Information pertaining to your private care will only be added to your NHS medical records if your private provider sends this to us. 

If your private specialist feels you need any tests or a procedure, they are fully responsible for arranging these, including any medication or preparation you might need. They should also explain how and when you will receive an appointment date, what to do if the date doesn’t suit you, and how your results will be shared with you. All results and explanations must come directly from your private specialist, not from your NHS GP Practice.

This applies in the NHS too - hospital teams are expected to organise and review their own tests rather than passing tasks back to your GP.

Any tests or procedures arranged privately must be carried out and paid for within the private sector, which may mean additional costs or travel. GP practices do not generally provide private tests—such as blood tests— using NHS resources. Private specialists can refer you to NHS hospital services where appropriate, but they should not ask your NHS GP to arrange tests on their behalf.

If a private clinician advises you to contact your GP to organise tests, please let them know that all investigations linked to your private care must be arranged privately. This helps avoid delays, ensures your specialist receives the results directly, and allows them to plan your follow‑up without interruption.

If an NHS clinician has recommended a scan or investigation and you are considering having it carried out privately instead, it’s important to discuss this directly with the NHS clinician who requested the test. They are responsible for interpreting the results and explaining what they mean for your care. For this reason, your GP should not be asked to refer you for a scan that has already been recommended by another NHS team.

In many cases, if you wish to proceed privately, you may need to see a private specialist who can assess you and request the scan on your behalf. This ensures that the clinician who orders the test is the same person who receives the results and provides your follow‑up care.

Once you choose to move a test into the private sector, all arrangements—including referrals, appointments, test requests, and results—must be managed within the private system. Your GP is not involved in organising or interpreting tests that originate from another clinician’s care, whether NHS or private.

If your private consultant recommends starting a new medicine or changing one you already take, they will provide the first prescription so you can begin treatment straightaway. They should also explain why the medication is being advised, how it is expected to help, and any monitoring or follow‑up that may be needed as part of your treatment plan.

After this, the consultant will write to your GP with details of the treatment. In some cases, your GP may be able to continue prescribing the medication on the NHS, but this is not guaranteed. It usually takes around two weeks for the Practice to receive and process these letters.

Private clinicians sometimes recommend medicines that NHS GPs cannot prescribe. This may include drugs that are not on the NHS Forth Valley Formulary, medicines that require specialist monitoring or medicines restricted for specialist or hospital use only.

If your consultant or GP advises that a medication cannot be prescribed by the Practice, you will need to continue receiving it privately. In these situations, please contact your private provider directly to arrange ongoing prescriptions and monitoring. 

If you’ve been seen privately but would prefer your care to continue within the NHS, you absolutely can return. NHS Scotland guidance makes it clear that patients should re‑enter the NHS pathway at the point they would have reached had they stayed in the system, so you won’t be sent back to the beginning.

Your private consultant is the person who must arrange this transfer. They know your condition best, understand the treatment you’ve already had, and can make sure you’re directed to the right NHS clinic. Asking your GP to do this can slow things down and adds unnecessary steps, so the transfer should always be handled by the specialist overseeing your care.

To move you back into the NHS, your consultant will write a referral letter to the appropriate NHS service. This should include any test results, reports or information used to reach your diagnosis. NHS teams will review this information and plan your care based on your clinical needs, which may sometimes differ from the private recommendations.

Once the referral is received, the NHS clinic will contact you directly with the next steps. Your GP does not organise or manage this process.