What private specialists cost in the UK
Sources checked: July 2026Private Health Compass compiled the initial-consultation fee ranges published for the specialties this site covers. As of July 2026, a first private appointment typically runs from about £150 (dermatology) to £900 (a private ADHD diagnostic assessment), against a general PHIN benchmark of £170 to £250. Endocrinology and oncology have no single published range, for reasons explained below.
Initial-consultation fee range, by specialty
Each bar spans the published low to high initial-consultation fee for that specialty. Psychiatry shows the initial ADHD diagnostic appointment, not the full multi-stage assessment package; see the note below the chart. Endocrinology and oncology have no bar because no respectable single figure could be sourced.
Scale: £0 to £900, the highest figure charted (ADHD initial diagnostic appointment).
A full private ADHD assessment package, the initial appointment plus a written diagnostic report, is commonly quoted at £500 to £1,500 in total, higher than the £900 shown for the initial appointment alone above. We charted the initial appointment fee, not the package total, so every specialty in this chart is compared on the same basis: the cost of a single first visit.
What the fee does, and does not, include
PHIN, the body that publishes UK private healthcare cost data, explains that private consultants generally charge for three separate things: the initial consultation, any procedure, and follow-up consultations, and that none of these figures include private hospital facility fees or an anaesthetist's fee where one is needed. Across every specialty on this page, the same pattern holds: the quoted initial-consultation fee covers the appointment itself, not any blood test, scan, biopsy, imaging, prescription or procedure that comes out of it. Neurology and endocrinology in particular can involve scans (MRI, ultrasound) that cost considerably more than the consultation. Ask for a written, itemised quote before you agree to anything beyond the first appointment, and for oncology specifically, ask for a full treatment estimate before any treatment starts, not just the consultation fee.
Self-pay, private medical insurance, or NHS referral
How you pay changes what the appointment costs you directly, and how quickly you can usually be seen.
| Route | How it typically works | What it costs you | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS referral | Your GP refers you into NHS care on a routine or urgent pathway, depending on the specialty and symptoms. | Free at the point of use. | Ask your GP practice about referral routes and whether an urgent pathway applies to your symptoms. |
| Self-pay private | You book directly with a clinic or consultant. Some specialties accept this without a GP letter, others prefer one. | You pay the consultation fee directly, plus any tests, scans or procedures, billed separately. | Ask the clinic for its current published price list, and confirm exactly what the initial fee includes before you book. |
| Via private medical insurance | Your insurer typically requires a GP referral letter and pre-authorisation before it will fund a specialist claim. | Insurer pays up to your policy limits. Any excess or non-covered items remain yours. | Check your policy wording; see our health insurance guide for how cover and pre-authorisation generally work. |
How to check what you'll actually pay
- Ask the clinic or consultant for their fee schedule in writing before you book. PHIN notes a consultant is expected to set out their fee before an initial private consultation, so ask for that figure rather than relying on any published range, including ours.
- Look up the specialist on PHIN, which collects safety, quality and published cost data from hospitals and thousands of consultants under a government mandate.
- Ask directly whether the price quoted is a package, covering the consultation and any follow-up together, or billed separately per service. PHIN notes these two structures are priced very differently.
- Ask specifically what the initial fee excludes: tests, scans, biopsies, procedures and prescriptions are usually quoted and billed apart from the consultation itself.
- If you are claiming through private medical insurance, confirm pre-authorisation and any condition-specific exclusions or caps with your insurer before the appointment, not after.
Want the full access and cost guide for a specific specialty?
Go deeper on dermatology, neurology, psychiatry and ADHD assessment, endocrinology, or oncology.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private specialist consultation cost?
Across the specialties this site covers, published initial-consultation fees run from about £150 (dermatology) to £900 (a private ADHD diagnostic assessment with a psychiatrist). PHIN, the government-mandated body that publishes UK private healthcare cost data, puts a general benchmark for a first specialist consultation at roughly £170 to £250 across specialties. Endocrinology and oncology are exceptions: we could not confirm a published range for endocrinology, and oncology cost varies too much by diagnosis and treatment plan to state responsibly as a single figure. Always ask your specific clinic or consultant for their current fee in writing.
Does private medical insurance cover consultation fees?
Usually yes, up to your policy limits, but almost every insurer requires a GP referral letter and pre-authorisation before it will fund a specialist consultation. Cover can vary by condition: some policies exclude or cap specific assessments, such as ADHD assessment, and cancer cover in particular can carry its own limits or named-drug lists. Check your policy wording before assuming a consultation, or a course of treatment, will be paid in full.
Are follow-up appointments cheaper?
Often, yes, where a published range exists. Dermatology follow-ups typically run £100 to £200 against an initial fee of £150 to £350, and neurology follow-ups typically run £130 to £190 against an initial fee of £220 to £350. An ADHD follow-up review is typically £150 to £400 against a £300 to £900 initial diagnostic appointment. That said, PHIN notes some consultants charge the same for a brief follow-up as for the initial consultation unless they tell you otherwise, so do not assume a lower price without checking.
Why don't endocrinology and oncology have a published fee range here?
For endocrinology, we looked for a published, endocrinology-specific price list from a major UK provider and could not independently re-verify one with confidence, so we are not citing a figure we cannot stand behind. For oncology, the reason is different: cost depends on cancer type, stage and treatment plan, and scans, biopsies, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and drug costs are each quoted separately, so a single consultation-fee range would be misleading rather than useful.
What's the lowest and highest figure in this comparison?
The lowest published initial fee we found is around £150, the low end of the dermatology range. The highest single-appointment figure is around £900, the top of the range for an initial ADHD diagnostic appointment with a psychiatrist. If you count the full ADHD assessment package, including the written report, rather than just the initial appointment, that figure rises to £500 to £1,500 in total, according to the same source.
Per-specialty sources
For each specialty, we reused and re-checked the same third-party UK cost tracker cited on that specialty's own guide, confirming the figure was still published before citing it here. Where we could not independently re-verify a figure, including endocrinology, we did not state one. Figures are not an official, provider-wide price list; always confirm the current fee with the clinic before booking. Sources checked: July 2026.
- Private GP (not a specialist) HCA UK: private GP services Retrieved 2026-07-19 "Self-pay appointments from just £99"
- Private GP (not a specialist) London Doctors Clinic: prices Retrieved 2026-07-19 "15-minute video, £70 flat; 60-minute in person, from £280 weekdays, from £310 weekends"
- Dermatology TreatCompare: Private Dermatologist Cost UK Retrieved 2026-07-19 "Initial consultant dermatologist appointments usually cost about £150-£350 (typical £250, 30-45 minutes). Follow-ups from £100, typically £100-£200 (15-20 minutes). Figures dated as of April 2026."
- Neurology GoingPrivateUK: Private Neurology Consultation UK Retrieved 2026-07-19 "First appointment £220-£350; follow-up appointment £130-£190. Indicative 2026 ranges, page last updated June 2026."
- Psychiatry (ADHD assessment) GoingPrivateUK: Private ADHD Assessment UK Retrieved 2026-07-19 "Full private ADHD assessment typically £500-£1,500. Initial diagnostic assessment £300-£900 (90-120 minutes). Follow-up review (annual maintenance) £150-£400. Dated 2026."
- PHIN general private specialist consultation PHIN: Self-funding your private treatment Retrieved 2026-07-19 "The fee will vary, but tends to be around £170 to £250."
This tracker is independent and informational only. It is not medical advice and not a quote from any specific clinic or consultant. See our disclaimer and editorial policy for how we research and how we handle affiliate links. Last reviewed: July 2026.