Private hospitals & clinics for expats in the UK

Accessing private hospitals and clinics as an expat in the UK

The UK has a well-developed private hospital sector operating alongside the NHS. The largest groups — including HCA Healthcare, Nuffield Health and Spire Healthcare — operate networks of hospitals and specialist clinics across the country, offering consultant-led care with significantly shorter waiting times than NHS pathways for non-urgent procedures.

To access private hospital treatment, you typically need either private health insurance or the ability to self-pay. Most private hospitals accept direct referrals from private GPs, and some will accept self-referrals for certain services such as diagnostics and physiotherapy. For surgical procedures, you will usually need a consultant referral. If you have NHS GP access, your GP can provide a referral letter even if you intend to self-pay privately.

International patients — those who have recently arrived in the UK or who are visiting for treatment — can usually be seen at private hospitals without a GP referral by contacting the hospital's international patient services team directly. Major London hospitals such as The Wellington and The Harley Street Clinic (both HCA facilities) have dedicated international patient coordinators who can help arrange appointments, translation services and insurance pre-authorisation.

For diagnostic services such as MRI, CT scanning, blood tests and health screening, many private hospitals offer self-pay packages without a referral at all. These can be useful for expats who want baseline health checks when arriving in the UK, or for those who need diagnostic results quickly for visa or insurance purposes.