Dr Amir Khan has thanked fans after an emotional social media post in which he said he only does NHS work and has repeatedly turned down offers of private practice. The GP, known for his social media presence and daytime television appearances, said he is “all about the NHS”.
GP explains decision to stay in NHS
Dr Amir, who works as a GP in Bradford, said he has been approached numerous times about private work, which can often pay better and lead to a reduced patient workload. In a post titled ‘sorry’, he said he gets “loads of DMs” asking if he does private work and whether people could pay to see him as their doctor, which he described as “really flattering and really nice”.
He said: “But I only do NHS work, clinical work, and I only work at the surgery that I've been at in Bradford for 15 years.” He added that he is “a real believer in the NHS” and went into medicine because he loves the idea of the NHS, despite finding the money offered for private work “very attractive”.
Working in a deprived area
Dr Amir said he works in a part of Bradford he describes as socially deprived, where he grew up. He said it is important for him, having been through that himself, to provide families there with the best possible care because “they don't always get the best possible things in life”.
He thanked fans for suggesting they wanted to see him privately, saying it meant a lot, but added: “I can't. I don't do it. But I wish you the best of luck on your health journey, and I will try and share as much health content on here to help as many people as I can.”
Rise in private practice registrations
An analysis of Care Quality Commission (CQC) data shows the number of doctors registering to practise outside the NHS has risen sharply. A report by healthcare business-intelligence company LaingBuisson estimated in 2024 that 13 per cent of GP consultations were private, up from 3 per cent two decades earlier.
In the five years to the end of 2025, the CQC saw a 212 per cent increase in new registrations for ‘independent consulting doctors’ in England, up from 396 to 1,238. New registrations rose by 58 per cent between 2024-25. It is possible to do both private and NHS work.
The British Medical Association (BMA) says GP practices are experiencing “significant strain after years of underinvestment”, which has left practices unable to recruit and retain enough GPs to meet rising demand. In September 2026, there were 63 million patients registered with GP practices in England, an increase of approximately 11 per cent or 6.1 million since 2015.
The BMA claims that, from September 2015 to September 2026, there has only been an increase of 36 fully qualified full-time equivalent GPs.
