Can you book a private children’s surgeon without asking your GP first?
No. You do not need a GP referral to book a private consultation with me. A GP letter helps if you already have one because it gives useful background. Insurance can have its own rules, so check cover first. An examination decides what is right for your child.
Book directly without a GP referral
You may have been told to “ask your GP first” and then felt stuck, especially if you want advice about your child and do not know which route applies. For a self pay private consultation, you can book directly. You are not doing anything wrong by asking a private consultant for an opinion.
Booking an appointment and agreeing to treatment are separate decisions. The first consultation is for assessment, explanation and advice. I look at the concern, take the history, examine your child where needed, and explain the options. I also tell families when surgery is not the right step.
A GP referral letter remains useful if you already have one. It can summarise medical history, previous advice and the specific point that needs attention. The consultation fee is £250, and after the consultation you receive written information before any treatment is agreed. An examination gives the individual answer.
Separate self pay, insurance and NHS routes
The right answer depends on the route you are using. The word “referral” gets used for private booking, insurance approval and NHS pathways, which is why parents get mixed messages.
| Route | GP referral position | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Self pay private consultation | You can book directly for my private consultation. A GP letter helps if you already have one. | Check what information you already hold and what question you want answered. |
| Private medical insurance | Your insurer may ask for a GP referral or authorisation before it agrees cover. | Check the insurer’s rules before assuming the appointment will be covered. |
| NHS pathway | A GP or another health professional referral starts the NHS route, including the NHS e-Referral Service where it applies. | Keep this separate from self pay private care, because NHS choice rules apply after referral. |
NHS.uk recognises that a person can see a private specialist with or without a GP referral. The British Medical Association also says self referral for private treatment is possible, although some consultants set their own paperwork rules.
Self pay and insurance should never be treated as the same route. If you are paying yourself, the question is whether the private consultant accepts direct enquiries. If you are using insurance, the question is whether your private medical insurer will cover the appointment without prior paperwork.
If you have questions about your child’s care, you can arrange a consultation with Miss Jana Torres-Grau. Arrange a consultation
Send useful information before the appointment
Good background information matters more than having the perfect referral format. A GP letter can be useful, but a parent with clear records and a short history can still give a private specialist what is needed to understand the question before the appointment.
If you do not have a GP referral, send what you already have and keep it relevant:
- Start with a short history in your own words. Say what you have noticed, when it started, and what advice you have already had.
- Add clear photos if the concern can be seen. Photos can help me understand whether an in-person examination is needed.
- Include previous hospital letters, clinic letters or test results if they relate to the concern.
- Add previous operation notes if your child has already had surgery for the same issue.
- Share current medicines and allergies. These are useful even at an early advice stage.
- Use the NHS App, online medical records or a subject access request if you need a copy of medical information.
The purpose is clinical context, not paperwork for its own sake. If more information is needed before a decision can be made, I can explain what would be useful and why.
A few words from Miss Jana Torres-Grau
Send a short timeline in your own words, including when the concern started and what has changed since then. That often helps me understand the problem faster than a long set of unrelated records.
Use the consultation to decide suitability
A private paediatric consultation is where suitability is decided. Children’s surgery needs a careful assessment, the right setting and an honest view of whether treatment is appropriate.
I am Miss Jana Torres-Grau, a Consultant Paediatric Plastic Surgeon on the GMC Specialist Register for plastic surgery, and I work at Evelina London Children’s Hospital. I provide private plastic and reconstructive surgery for children and young people from newborn babies to the age of 18.
Assessment comes before treatment
At the consultation, I assess the concern, the medical history and the examination findings. Some appointments can start online, especially when the first job is to talk through the problem and review information. Other questions need an in-person examination before I can give a clear view.
Parents sometimes arrive expecting that private care means a direct route to surgery. My job is to give you a straight clinical opinion. I explain the options, including the option of no surgery, and I make clear what I think is suitable for your child.
Written information follows the consultation
After the consultation, you receive a clinic letter and a written quote if treatment is being considered. That matters because decisions should not be made in a rush or from memory.
The letter records the advice given and can help communication with your GP or another team involved in your child’s care. The written quote sets out the private treatment plan before anything is agreed.
A few words from Miss Jana Torres-Grau
If you have insurance, check authorisation rules before you book. Some insurers need approval first, even when a private consultation can be arranged directly.
Keep private and NHS care clear
When a child is already known to an NHS team, a private consultation can still sit alongside that care if the roles are clear. The clinic letter is the practical document here, because it records the assessment and advice in a form that can be shared.
A GP is not obliged to accept every recommendation made by a private specialist. The British Medical Association says private and NHS care should be kept clearly separate where possible, and private providers can refer onward to NHS services in some cases where the child would be eligible.
Blurred expectations cause the problems: expecting a GP to arrange everything from a private plan, or assuming private advice automatically changes an NHS pathway. Clear letters and clear roles work better than trying to make one system carry the other.
Choose clarity over paperwork
One common approach is to wait until every possible letter, form and record is in place. That can slow parents down, especially when they are unsure whether they are allowed to ask for private advice at all.
A cleaner approach starts with the route. If you are self paying, a GP referral is helpful but not the gateway to a private consultation with me. If you are using insurance, the insurer’s rules come first. If you are staying in the NHS pathway, the NHS referral process has its own structure.
That is how I approach a private consultation as Miss Torres-Grau: clear route first, useful information next, then a decision about suitability in the right setting for a child. Paperwork supports the assessment, but clarity is what keeps the process safe and useful.
Every child is different, so a personal assessment is the best next step. Ask a question
Questions parents ask me about GP referrals
Will my child be turned away without a GP letter?
No. A GP referral is not needed for my private consultation. If you already have one, it can help by giving medical background, but it is not the permission slip for a self pay appointment.
Does insurance change the answer?
Yes, it can. A private medical insurer may ask for a GP referral or authorisation before covering the appointment, so the insurer’s rules matter before you rely on cover.
Can I share a private clinic letter with my GP?
Yes. A clinic letter records the assessment and advice, and you can share it with your GP or an NHS team. Your GP still decides what they can take on within NHS care.
Can the first consultation be online?
Yes, the first consultation can be online or in person. Some questions can be discussed well online, but an examination may still be needed before I can advise on treatment.
What if I have no medical records to send?
Send a short history in your own words and any relevant photos if the concern can be seen. If more information is needed, I can explain what would help before a full decision is made.
This is general information, not medical advice.
