NHS or Private Physio and Podiatry: How to Get Seen in 2026
Pick England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and see how NHS physiotherapy and podiatry are reached, where self-referral exists, what private care costs by comparison and what to check before you pay.
Updated
NHS physiotherapy and podiatry cost nothing at the point of use, and in many places you can ask for them yourself, but the wait and the rules belong to your local service. Private care costs money and gets you seen sooner, and you can check the person before you book. Below: pick your nation and what you need, then jump to the part you want.
Find your route
Four nations, four sets of rules
England
Community MSK services often accept self-referral. Some surgeries have a physiotherapist you can see first.
Scotland
Every health board decides, so the same back pain can mean a form in one board and a GP visit in another.
Wales
NHS Wales 111 says self-referral exists in some areas only. The surgery reception can tell you.
Northern Ireland
We have not confirmed the route, so we point you to NI Direct and your GP practice.
We do not quote waiting times. The national waiting list statistics we looked for were not available to our checks on 13 November 2026, and waits differ by area and month.
When going private makes sense
What it costs
Private physiotherapy typically costs £70 for a first appointment and £55 for each follow-up, with half of clinics between £55.80 and £80 for the first visit.
Private routine foot care typically costs £42.50 a visit, and nail surgery around £363.50.
The price guide has the full table and a quote checker.
What to check first
Look up the person on the right register before you pay. The register guide says which one. The NHS also advises choosing a chartered physiotherapist, who has MCSP after their name, and checking HCPC registration.
Once you know what you want, the town pages for physiotherapists and podiatrists and chiropodists show who practises near you.
Going private does not shut the NHS door. You can stay on an NHS waiting list while you book a first appointment, and the private clinician can tell you whether your problem needs a GP.
What to bring to the first appointment
- A short note of when the problem began, what makes it worse and what you have already tried.
- A list of your medicines and any condition such as diabetes, since it changes what is safe for your feet in particular.
- Any scan or letter you already have, from the NHS or from an earlier private visit.
- The registration number of the person you are seeing, if you checked it. It saves time if you want to raise a question later.
Pages this guide leans on
Opened on 13 November 2026. NHS services change locally, so use these as the starting point and confirm with your own service.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| NHS: physiotherapy | Cost, waiting list, self-referral in many areas, first contact physiotherapists, choosing a private physiotherapist |
| NHS Wales 111: physiotherapy | Referral rule in Wales |
| NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | An example of a Scottish self-referral route |
| NHS Inform | Where Scottish MSK help is listed |
| Croydon Health Services: podiatry | An example of local NHS podiatry eligibility |
| NI Direct | Official starting point for Northern Ireland |
| HCPC register | Checking a physiotherapist or podiatrist |
Private prices come from clinic websites on this site, read on 12 November 2026.
Written by the Good Physio editorial team.