More people in Scotland are considering using Private Healthcare. Here are 5 Reasons why you should think about it too.
1 – Beat the Waiting Lists
NHS waiting lists are rarely out of the news. The latest information, as of March 2025, from Healthcare Improvement Scotland shows that patients are waiting many months for important appointments. Some patients in Glasgow wait 38 weeks or more for a Dermatology appointment, with waits being as long as 54 weeks or more for some patients awaiting a Cardiology appointment.
In Private Healthcare, wait times are much shorter and usually measured in short weeks rather than the long months we are increasingly seeing in the NHS. Many people are making the decision to use the Private healthcare system to get them back to doing what they enjoy and back to work – which is sometimes the same thing for some people! Lots of people we hear from see this as a worthy investment to get them living life to the fullest.
2 – Access Treatments not Available on the NHS
While the NHS can offer a good service, if you can wait for it, there are some significant funding realities that mean options are limited. There are a few examples of this.
The medicines commonly known as “Weight Loss Jabs” such as Ozempic and Wegovy (Semaglutide) and Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) have been proven to aid weight loss in those with a High Body Mass Index (BMI) and have benefits with weight-associated conditions. They have been shown to reduce high blood pressure, cause remission of Type 2 Diabetes and to help avoid Liver Failure seen in weight-related types of Liver Disease.
Despite all these benefits, many of those with a BMI of over 30 without Type 2 Diabetes are not finding it easy to access them on the NHS. This is even though the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish Medicines Consortium have approved their use for people who find themselves struggling to shift weight.
On Eno Health, a number of regulated healthcare professionals can prescribe these medications, with a full list of them here.
3 – More time to be listened to
Time can be everything in health care. We’ve all had the experience where we go to see an under-pressure GP. The clinic runs behind as they’ve not had enough time in a standard 10-minute appointment to deal with all of the important issues someone they’ve seen before you has. When you do get in, GPs sometimes must limit the Consultation to one problem just to try and keep things under control. Knowing you have little time, you rush out the details of what has brought you to see them. Before you know it, the Consultation is over, and you can leave an appointment feeling you didn’t really have a chance to get into things. Appointments in Glasgow, Lanarkshire and the Central Belt of Scotland on Eno Health here.
4 – More affordable than you think
An industry body carried out research which showed 61% of people believed they would “never be able to afford private healthcare”. While there are costs associated with private healthcare that mean it will be out of reach for some, private healthcare is much more affordable than you might think.
A survey of average British people found that about half of respondents either said they didn’t know what a Private GP appointment costs, or guess that it might cost more than £100. It might come then as a surprise to find that a 15 minute Private GP appointment can be found on Eno Health for just £75 including the cost of writing any prescriptions needed!
A quick search shows that a whole host of services are much cheaper than you might think.
5 – Get a GP appointment much quicker
Speak to anyone you know, and they’ll have a story about the 8.00am rush to get on the phoneline to their GP practice to get an appointment. It can feel like a lottery at times and even if you do all the right things, you might not get through in time. It can be difficult for people who work and those with caring responsibilities to ensure they are free in the correct time window.
If you don’t get through for a same day appointment, you might be offered an appointment at a later time. Frustratingly, official figures show 1 in 10 people are waiting as long as 3 weeks for this essential service.
When you choose to have a Private GP consultation, there is often easy access to same-day or next-day appointments and you don’t have to phone at a set time to book these. Eno Health makes it simple to sending a booking request to GP of your choice to be seen at a time which is much more convenient for you.