Guide · GP and assessments
GP access and health checks: NHS, private apps, insurers and what your club includes
The free NHS Health Check, private GP subscriptions, Bupa and AXA assessments, and the GP and health services bundled into club memberships. What each gives you, what it costs and the order to use them in.
Updated September 2026 · Prices are UK list prices and need verification
This is general information, not medical advice. We are not doctors and this page has not been clinically reviewed. It cannot diagnose, treat or replace a consultation with a qualified clinician. If you are unwell, contact your GP or NHS 111; in an emergency call 999. Some links on this page are affiliate links; see our disclosure. Full medical disclaimer.
Options
| Service | Price | What | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHS GP | Free | Full primary care; referrals; prescriptions | Days to weeks | Everything; the system of record |
| NHS Health Check | Free, 40 to 74, every 5 years | Cholesterol, glucose, BP, BMI, lifestyle, risk score | Book via GP | The baseline everyone should have |
| NHS 111 online | Free | Triage and advice | Minutes | Urgent but not emergency |
| Private GP appointment | £80 to £150 | 15 to 30 minute consultation | Same or next day | Speed; second opinion |
| Private GP subscription (Babylon/eMed, Doctor Care Anywhere) | £10 to £30/mo or via insurer | Video GP; prescriptions; referrals | Same day | Convenience |
| Bupa Health Assessment | £269 to £900+ | Doctor, bloods, ECG, fitness, lifestyle | Half day | A structured annual review with a doctor |
| AXA Health / Vitality via employer | Employer-funded | Assessments and GP access | Varies | Check your benefits first |
| Nuffield Health 360 MOT | Included with membership | BP, glucose, cholesterol, BMI with assessor | Same day | Members; a nudge not a diagnosis |
| Bannatyne Platinum virtual GP | +£9.99/mo | Video GP, physio, second opinion | Same day | Cheapest GP access via a club |
| David Lloyd Platinum | Tier upgrade | GP and physio access, EGYM | Same day | Members on the top tier |
Prices September 2026.
Start with the free one
The NHS Health Check is offered to everyone aged 40 to 74 without a pre-existing cardiovascular condition, every five years, and covers the tests that most clearly change outcomes: cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, BMI and a QRISK score. Uptake is under half. If you are 40 and have not had one, that is the first thing to book, before any private panel.
Private GPs: speed, not different medicine
A private GP sees you today for £80 to £150 and can order the same tests and make the same referrals, into the private system at private prices or back to the NHS via your own GP. Subscriptions from £10 a month give video access. The medicine is the same; you are paying for the appointment time and the queue. For a worrying symptom that needs looking at this week, that is a fair trade. For ongoing care, your NHS GP holds the record and the relationship.
Health assessments
Bupa, Nuffield and others sell half-day assessments at £270 to £900: bloods, ECG, fitness measures and a doctor who explains them. They find high blood pressure, high cholesterol and pre-diabetes in people who did not know, which is useful, and they generate follow-up for incidental findings, which is less so. Once every few years for someone without a GP relationship is defensible; annually for a healthy 30-year-old is a subscription to reassurance.
Check what you already have
Employer health insurance often includes a virtual GP and an annual assessment. Nuffield Health membership includes the 360 MOT. Bannatyne Platinum adds a virtual GP for £9.99 a month, the cheapest route to same-day GP access in the country. David Lloyd Platinum bundles GP and physio. Most people paying for a private GP app already have one through work or their club.
When to see a GP
- You are 40 or over and have never had an NHS Health Check
- Any new symptom you would otherwise search for online
- Before buying a private health assessment, ask what your GP would test for free
- A private assessment has flagged anything; your GP holds the record and can refer
NHS 111 online or by phone for urgent but non-emergency concerns. 999 for emergencies.
FAQs
Common questions
Is the NHS Health Check worth doing?
Yes. It is free, takes 20 minutes, and covers the measures with the strongest evidence for changing outcomes. Book it through your GP surgery or local pharmacy.
How much is a private GP appointment?
£80 to £150 for a 15 to 30 minute in-person consultation, or £10 to £30 a month for a video GP subscription.
Does gym membership include a doctor?
Nuffield Health includes a Health MOT with an assessor; Bannatyne Platinum and David Lloyd Platinum include virtual GP access. None replaces your NHS GP for ongoing care.
Bupa health assessment or a blood test?
The assessment adds a doctor, ECG and physical measures for three to five times the price. If you want the conversation, the assessment. If you know what you want tested, the panel.
Sources
- NHS Health Check
- NHS · GP services
- CQC · check private GP providers
- QRISK3 · cardiovascular risk calculator used by the NHS
What the numbers on your Health Check mean.
Guide not yet available