Don't Fall Into The Private Practice 'Trap' in 2026

A lot of doctors are starting to wonder whether private practice might be part of their future. In this video, Dr Matthew Wickham and Dr David Hindmarsh talk through what that question really means, not in a NHS vs private way, but as a conversation about time, flexibility, and testing ideas safely. Matthew shares why private practice has given him more control over his working day, more time with patients, and space to develop ideas that would be almost impossible to trial inside large systems. They also discuss why you don’t have to quit anything to start ,and why doing a small amount alongside NHS work is often the most sensible place to begin. They explore common frustrations doctors face when trying to innovate, why good ideas often stall without time or funding behind them, and how private work can sometimes act as a testing ground rather than an all-or-nothing leap. Timestamps 00:00 - Should you start a private practice in 2026? 00:17 - Why time is the real value 00:53 - Stop being restricted by NHS frameworks 01:40 - Mixing NHS and private work 02:40 - Why innovation often stalls 04:00 - Creating space for innovation 05:30 - Learning business skills that feed back into NHS work 05:54 - Private Practice taster days and seeing how it really works 07:33 - Asking the question (even if the answer is no) 08:43 - Final thoughts for 2026 Curious about private practice or just want to explore your options? Dr Matthew Wickham – matthew@docsupport.co.uk Explore tools, guides, and support for doctors: 🔗 https://www.docsupport.co.uk