Seeing a private menopause specialist: what it means for your GP care

One of the most common things I hear stopping women from seeing a private menopause specialist is cost – specifically, what hidden costs might lie beyond the initial consultation fee. Understandably, many women worry that private care means entering into an open-ended financial commitment, or that it might create complications with their NHS GP. 

In practice, neither worry tends to play out: the commitment to private care can be as light or as ongoing as you choose, and your GP stays fully in the loop throughout.

Starting with a private consultation

A private consultation is, above all else, time. A full 45-minute appointment dedicated entirely to you: your symptoms, your history, your life, and what you want from your care. Menopause is complex and multi-layered, and it often needs more time than a standard 10 minute GP appointment allows. A specialist consultation is designed to give it that time.

Women come to see me for all sorts of reasons and at all sorts of stages. Some are in perimenopause and just noticing changes. Others are well into menopause and struggling with symptoms they haven't been able to get on top of. Some are postmenopausal and want to review their longer-term health. No matter what stage you’re at in the menopause transition, the full 45-minute initial consultation – supported further with information provided in a pre-consultation questionnaire – means we have time to explore the full picture of your symptoms, not just a small cluster of them. It also gives us time to build a treatment plan that you’re truly happy with.

But what does treatment and ongoing support look like after that initial consultation? At Radley Health, we want that choice to be yours.

How much ongoing care do you actually need?

Seeing a private specialist doesn't have to be a long-term financial commitment. In fact, many women find that the consultation itself is their main cost, and their ongoing prescriptions continue through the NHS.

How this works in practice depends on your individual situation, but there are a few common paths:

For many women with straightforward needs – standard age, no significant risk factors, standard HRT – I write to you and your GP after your consultation recommending treatment. Your GP can then prescribe directly on the NHS, so there may be no private prescription cost at all beyond the consultation fee itself. This is the most common route for uncomplicated cases.

Some women prefer to start treatment straight away rather than waiting for a GP appointment. In these cases, I can issue a private prescription for the first month so you can begin immediately while your GP receives my letter and takes over prescribing. A first month of standard HRT – typically oestrogen gel or patches with progesterone – usually costs around £20–25 on a private prescription.

Others prefer me to manage things for the first few months, prescribing privately until they're settled and stable on treatment before handing over to their GP. This typically means around three months of private prescriptions, followed by a review and transfer.

And for more complex cases – for example where medication is off-licence or your medical history needs specialist oversight – I may prescribe privately on an ongoing basis, though your GP may still agree to take over in time.

It's worth being clear that a private prescription incurs an additional cost, which varies depending on the cost of the medication itself. With that said, many women's only cost is the consultation itself, with their ongoing HRT prescribed on the NHS from the outset.

There isn't a single "best" way to get specialist support. What matters is that you choose what works for you.

Some women choose to continue their care with me privately after their initial consultation. Others come for a single consultation – a one-off opportunity to get a thorough, expert assessment and a clear plan, often after saving specifically for this – and then return to their GP for ongoing prescriptions and support. Follow-ups are flexible, too – some women have one or several before transferring their care over to their GP; others may book occasional consultations if they feel they need more support or something isn’t working the way they want it to.

Whichever path you take, many women are able to continue getting their prescriptions on the NHS, and it’s worth understanding how that works.

Transferring care to your GP: how it works 

Standard HRT is available on the NHS, so for the majority of women, seeing me privately does not mean paying privately for prescriptions long term. Following every consultation, I write a detailed letter covering everything we've discussed: your symptoms, how they're affecting your daily life, your medical history, your family history, your lifestyle, and any other factors relevant to your individual care. Together, we build your treatment plan, and you receive a copy of everything. With your permission, a copy of this letter is also sent to your GP, so your private and NHS care stay connected from day one.

In straightforward cases, this letter serves as an immediate recommendation – your GP has everything they need to begin prescribing your HRT without any further steps. For women who start on a private prescription first, the same letter gives your GP the full picture so they can take over prescribing once you're established on treatment. Either way, I remain available to your GP for any questions, so we are always working from the same information rather than two separate versions of your care.

Prescribing decisions always rest with the individual practice, and a small number of treatments, such as testosterone, involve additional considerations, which are covered below. If a particular medicine can't be prescribed locally, I can continue to prescribe privately so you are never left without your medication.

Continuing your HRT prescriptions on the NHS 

Once your GP has agreed to prescribe your HRT – whether from my initial recommendation letter or after a period of private prescribing –, you’ll be able to get it at NHS prescription costs. Standard prescriptions cost £9.90 per item, but the most cost-effective option tends to be an HRT prepayment certificate, which covers an unlimited number of eligible* HRT medicines for £19.80 annually.

*excludes certain medications, including testosterone

One of the most common questions I hear is whether the medications I prescribe privately are different from what's available on the NHS. For the vast majority of HRT, the answer is no. I prescribe exactly the same medications privately as I would on the NHS, so you’re not ‘missing out’ on better medications by moving to NHS prescriptions. Many women move to NHS prescriptions as soon as they’re happy with their treatment plan – and some never need a private prescription at all –, keeping long-term medication costs as low as £19.80 per year.

There are a few exceptions worth knowing about:

• Testosterone is sometimes recommended for women experiencing persistent fatigue, low mood, or reduced libido that hasn’t improved on standard HRT alone. Some GPs are not comfortable initiating testosterone prescriptions, but most are happy to continue prescribing it once a specialist has started treatment and you are stable on it. As a menopause specialist, I regularly prescribe testosterone where needed, and can provide full guidance to your GP. Many GPs are happy to continue prescribing once you are established and stable on treatment. However, some practices are not able to take it on under their local prescribing guidelines, and some GPs prefer that off-licence prescribing remains with a specialist. In either case, I can continue your private testosterone prescriptions alongside the HRT your GP provides.

• Veoza (fezolinetant) is a newer, non-hormonal medication for the relief of hot flushes and night sweats. It's a good option for women who can't or prefer not to take hormones. Although the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently approved its use within the NHS in women for whom HRT is unsuitable, local NHS arrangements for prescribing it are still being put in place, so availability may vary from area to area for a while. In the meantime, I can prescribe it privately where it's appropriate for you. It does require some routine blood tests to check your liver, which I'll explain if we're considering it.

• Lynkuet (elinzanetant) is another new non-hormonal option for hot flushes and night sweats, and it may also help with the sleep disturbance that so often comes with them. The UK was the first country in the world to approve it, in July 2025. It hasn't yet been appraised by NICE, so it isn't currently available on the NHS and can only be prescribed privately for now. If hormonal treatment isn't right for you, it's one of the options we can discuss.

More broadly, if your case is complex or your treatment involves medication that falls outside standard NHS prescribing guidelines, ongoing private prescriptions may be needed. This isn't common, but it's worth knowing about so there are no surprises. We'll always discuss this openly during your consultation.

Working with your GP, not around them

Prior to training as a menopause specialist, I spent years working as a GP. This background shapes my approach to building relationships with your GP. I write to them clearly, practically, and with the information they actually need to pick up your care with confidence. In addition, if you have concerns about something outside of menopause that comes up during our consultation, I’ll happily include this in my letter to your GP so nothing falls through the gaps. Many GPs write back to me with updates, questions, or information about how a patient is getting on. I always reply promptly.

I believe that the best care comes when specialists and GPs work together – your GP knows you and your wider health; I can offer specialist menopause expertise and the time needed to explore your symptoms and goals fully. Together, we can give you much better care than either of us could alone.

So, is seeing a private menopause specialist worth it?

Only you can answer that. But many women tell me that the clarity they get from a single, well-structured consultation – one that provides them with a clear plan, a letter they can take to their GP, and the confidence of knowing they've been truly listened to – is invaluable. And for many, the consultation fee is the only private cost involved, with their treatment continuing on the NHS from that point.

If you’re ready to book a consultation, you can book online here. If you’d like more information or want to speak to someone first, you can get in touch via phone call or email here.