6 minute read · Updated 2026-09-02
Why choose a private GP in Northern Ireland?
Long waits are the usual reason people look. Speed is only useful if the doctor has time to listen, and if the next step (tests, a letter, a prescription) is actually available.
A private GP in Northern Ireland is a paid appointment with a GMC-registered doctor. You keep your NHS GP. You are buying time, access and a letter or prescription when you need it this week rather than next month.
The usual trigger is a wait. A sick note for work, a child who is not improving, a symptom that is keeping you awake, a driving medical with a deadline. None of those are emergencies. All of them can wreck a fortnight if nobody can see you.
What you should expect to pay is listed on this site. A 15-minute appointment is £70, 30 minutes is £100, and 45 minutes is £150. Online GP appointments start from £55. If you need a home visit, that starts from £255. Tests and reports are extra and we tell you before we do them.
What you should not expect is a replacement NHS practice. We do not take over your screening, your out-of-hours, or 999. We work alongside the NHS. If you need A&E, we will say so. If you need a consultant scan or a travel clinic, we send you to Friends Medical Service, which already runs those services.
Choose a private GP when the problem is access: you cannot get a timely appointment, you need a report, or you want a longer conversation than a standard slot allows. Do not choose a private GP as a way to skip emergency care.
Friends Medical GP is based at 41 High Street, Lurgan, with evening and Saturday clinics. Patients travel from Craigavon, Portadown, Banbridge, Lisburn, Armagh and Belfast. If you cannot travel, ask about an online appointment or a home visit, and check your postcode on the area checker.