ABSTRACT
Private general practice gives the doctor the opportunity to provide personal high-quality primary medical and preventive health care without the involvement of a third party. The private GP will need to provide premises, staff and equipment out of the income received by the practice. The alteration of the rules on advertising by the General Medical Council (GMC) makes the setting up of a private practice easier, as there can now be direct advertising rather than a dependence on personal recommendation and word of mouth. The GMC has issued guidance on advertising medical services. Private general practice tends to be concentrated in particular locations where there is a predominance of patients with high disposable incomes or of foreign residents, or where there are cultural factors at work. The aspiring entrant to private general practice should remember the three as: affability, availability and ability.
