Online GP video consultation

What can a GP treat by video?

Video suits any problem a doctor can assess by talking with you and, where it helps, looking at something on camera. That covers a wide range of everyday health concerns.

Video works well when you can describe clearly what is happening and, if it is a skin problem, show it in good light. If you have a home blood-pressure monitor, a thermometer or a pulse oximeter, have the readings ready; they help the doctor a great deal.

• Coughs, colds, sore throats and chest infections
• Hay fever and allergies
• Skin rashes, spots and moles you can show clearly on camera
• Urine infection symptoms
• Medication reviews and repeat prescription requests
• Mental health check-ins — low mood, stress, anxiety and sleep
• Contraception and sexual health advice
• Discussing test or scan results
• Fit notes for work and referral letters

When will the doctor ask you to come in?

Some things cannot be assessed safely on a screen. Tummy pain, chest symptoms, anything that needs the doctor to listen to your chest or heart, injuries, ear problems in young children, and lumps that need a hand as well as an eye usually need an in-person examination. If the doctor thinks that is the case, they will tell you honestly and help you book a clinic appointment or a home visit, and the video fee is taken into account.

A video consultation is not for emergencies. If you or someone with you is seriously unwell — severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, or signs of a stroke — call 999 straight away.

If you are unsure whether video is right for your problem, book it anyway. The doctor's assessment decides what happens next, and the video fee is taken into account if you do need to come in.

Is a video GP appointment as good as seeing a doctor in person?

For a great many everyday problems, yes. You see the same GMC-registered GPs, get the same unhurried time, and have the same options for prescriptions, fit notes and referrals — without the travel. The General Medical Council sets out clear standards for consulting safely by video, and our GPs follow them.

What a video call cannot do is replace a physical examination. When the doctor needs to listen to your chest, feel your tummy or examine a child, an in-person appointment is safer, and they will arrange one rather than guess. Used for the right problems, video is not a lesser service — it is simply the most convenient one.

How do I book a same-day video GP appointment?

Book online and choose a time that suits you; most weekday slots are available the same day, within the clinic's opening hours, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00. Shortly before your appointment we email you a secure link. There is nothing to download — it works in a normal web browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

Find a quiet, well-lit place where you can talk freely, keep any medicines you take within reach, and have the name of your preferred pharmacy ready in case you need a prescription. If the connection drops, rejoin with the same link; if it cannot continue, the doctor will phone you on the number you gave when booking.

Our how it works page walks through booking step by step, and our FAQ answers the questions people ask before they book.

• Works in a normal browser on a phone, tablet or computer — nothing to install
• Private prescriptions sent electronically to a pharmacy near you
• Fit notes and referral letters emailed after the appointment
• A summary to your NHS GP, with your consent

Can I get a prescription or fit note by video?

Yes, where it is clinically appropriate. After the consultation the GP can send a private prescription electronically to a pharmacy you choose. A separate prescription fee applies, shown on our pricing page, and the pharmacy charges its own private price for the medicine. Some medicines cannot be prescribed without an in-person examination, and the doctor will say so if that applies to you.

A GP can also issue a fit note (sick note) after a video consultation if they consider you unfit for work, and it is emailed to you the same day. Referral letters to specialists and for scans can be arranged the same way.

Our private prescriptions page explains what can and cannot be prescribed privately, how repeat prescriptions work, and how the pharmacy's charge is worked out.

What happens after your video appointment?

The aftercare works exactly as it does after a clinic visit. A private prescription is sent electronically to a pharmacy you choose; a fit note or referral letter is emailed to you, usually the same day; and any results are sent by secure message once a GP has reviewed them.

With your consent, we send a summary to your NHS GP. If the doctor asks you to book a face-to-face appointment or a home visit, reception will help you arrange it and take the video fee into account.

If the doctor arranges blood tests, you can have them taken at our Palmers Green clinic or, across North London, during a home visit. The results are reviewed by a GP and explained to you by secure message or in a follow-up call, and anything that needs action is arranged in the same practice.

How much does an online GP consultation cost?

You pay per consultation, with no membership. You choose the appointment length when you book — a standard consultation for one clear problem, a longer one for more than one concern, or an extended one for a complex history or a long-term condition review — and the fee for each length is shown in the table on this page. The fee covers your time with a GMC-registered GP and the advice and plan that come from it. If the doctor decides you need to be seen in person, they will help you book the right appointment and the video fee is taken into account, so you are not paying twice for the same problem.

A private prescription carries a separate fee, shown on our pricing page, and the pharmacy charges its own private price for the medicine. If you are claiming on private health insurance, we provide an itemised invoice; check your policy first, as you pay us directly and claim the fee back. It is free to cancel or move a consultation with the notice shown on our pricing page.

Video consultation or clinic visit — which should I choose?

Both are full appointments with the same GMC-registered GPs; the difference is simply whether the doctor needs to examine you in person.

• Choose video for advice, medication reviews, results, mental health check-ins, fit notes and problems you can describe or show on camera
• Choose a clinic visit when the doctor may need to listen to your chest, feel your tummy, look in your ears, or examine a lump, injury or a young child
• Not sure? Book a video appointment first — the doctor will tell you if you need to come in, and help you arrange it
• If getting to the clinic is the hard part, a home visit across North London is a third option

Is a video consultation confidential?

Yes. Consultations are private and are not recorded. Your notes are kept in our clinical system in exactly the same way as a clinic visit, and only the doctors and staff who need them can see them.

We handle your information in line with UK GDPR, and our GPs follow the General Medical Council's guidance on remote consultations. Our privacy notice explains how your information is used and your rights over it.

Choose somewhere you will not be overheard, and use headphones if you share your space. If you are at work, a booked meeting room is better than an open office. The doctor will check at the start of the call that you are somewhere you can talk freely.

Who is the video service for?

Anyone in the UK can book a video consultation with us. It is popular with people who work long hours, parents at home with young children, people who are travelling, and anyone who finds getting to a clinic difficult.

Although we see video patients across the country, we are a real practice with a real address — at the rear of Grovelands Medical Centre, 1 Grovelands Rd, Palmers Green, London N13 4RJ, telephone 07460 466684 — so if you do need an examination, a face-to-face appointment at the clinic or a home visit across North London is there when you need it. Our Palmers Green area guide explains how to find us.

Do I need to register, and can I keep my NHS GP?

No. There is nothing to register for and no membership to join — you simply book a video appointment when you need one. Seeing us does not affect your NHS registration in any way, and you keep your NHS GP.

With your consent, we send a short summary of the consultation to your NHS practice so your records stay complete. If you would rather we did not, tell the doctor and nothing is sent.

Which appointment should I book?

Questions patients ask