No — private hospitals do not run accident and emergency departments, and cannot take life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes or major trauma. Those are handled exclusively by the NHS through 999 and NHS A&E. However, that isn’t the whole picture: a number of private urgent care centres do exist, mainly in London, treating minor injuries and illnesses on a walk-in basis. They’re an alternative to a long A&E wait for minor problems, not an alternative to emergency care.

HCA UK runs walk-in urgent care centres for adults aged 18 and over at three of its London hospitals — The Lister Hospital in Chelsea, The Wellington Hospital in St John’s Wood, and The Princess Grace Hospital at 42–52 Nottingham Place, W1U 5NY — plus one at London Bridge Hospital, 29 Tooley Street, SE1 2PR. Children are seen at The Portland Hospital, though that one needs an appointment. St John & St Elizabeth Hospital in St John’s Wood also runs a private urgent care centre seeing adults and children aged one and over.

At HCA UK’s urgent care centres an initial doctor consultation is a fixed £130 (some sites quote from £120), a nurse consultation is £68, and a follow-up within seven days is £87. That covers the consultation only — tests, scans, X-rays and treatment are charged separately, though the centres explain costs before proceeding. Payment is usually taken upfront, with receipts provided so you can claim on private medical or travel insurance afterwards.

Minor injuries and illnesses that need prompt attention but aren’t life-threatening: sprains and strains, minor fractures, minor head injuries, cuts, burns, ear and throat infections, urinary tract infections, and similar everyday problems. They have on-site imaging and laboratory services, with blood results often within about 30 minutes and imaging reports typically within the hour. They do not treat suspected heart attacks, strokes, severe trauma, or anything life-threatening — those require 999.

Very little, and this is the honest answer most guides avoid. The established walk-in private urgent care centres are concentrated in London. Outside the capital your realistic private options are a same-day private GP appointment, a private minor injuries service where one exists locally, or fast self-pay diagnostics — none of which replaces A&E. If you’re outside London and need urgent assessment, NHS urgent treatment centres, NHS 111 and your GP remain the practical routes.

Sometimes, but don’t assume it. Urgent care consultations usually fall under outpatient benefits, so cover depends on your policy including outpatient care and having allowance remaining — and many policies expect pre-authorisation, which is difficult when you’re walking in unannounced. In practice most people pay upfront and claim afterwards using the receipts provided. Emergency treatment itself is generally excluded from private policies precisely because the NHS provides it free.

Some do, though most don’t — and it matters more than people realise. A minority of private hospitals, such as Spire Southampton, operate their own intensive care and high dependency beds, which is what allows them to perform cardiac and other complex surgery. Where there’s no ICU, a patient whose condition deteriorates after surgery is transferred to an NHS hospital. This is worth asking about before major planned surgery, but it’s separate from emergency care: an ICU doesn’t mean the hospital accepts walk-in emergencies.