Can I afford to leave the NHS?
Compare your NHS package, pension included, against private practice at the caseload you'd actually build.
Stay
£69,909
your total NHS package
- Salary
- £56,515
- Employer pension (23.7%)
- £13,394
Plus paid annual leave and occupational sick pay, which self-employment does not replace.
Hybrid
£57,271
NHS fraction plus a mature private caseload
- NHS package at 0.6 WTE
- £41,945
- Private profit, 8 sessions
- £15,326
Year one, while the private side ramps: about £49,301.
Leave
£30,541
mature-year private profit, pre-tax
- Mature year
- £30,541
- Year one, with the ramp
- £15,598
No pension, leave or sick pay unless you fund them from this figure.
To match your NHS package of £69,909, you would need about 33.1 sessions a week at £70, every working week of the year.
The private figures are pre-tax, pre-National Insurance profit; the NHS figures are salary plus pension value. For what the private side becomes after tax, use the take-home pay calculator. Private income assumes 44 working weeks, so unpaid holiday is already priced in. None of this is financial or pension advice.
Comparing the two incomes
Include pension accrual when comparing an NHS package with private fees. The calculator uses the NHS employer contribution of 23.7% of pensionable pay for 2026/27.
Year-one income reflects a caseload building over your chosen number of months. Use that figure when budgeting for the transition, rather than assuming a full diary from the start.
The hybrid option keeps part of your NHS salary and pension accrual while you build private work. Compare the figures at your expected caseload before deciding whether to reduce your NHS hours.
The private income model uses 44 working weeks to allow for unpaid holiday, sickness and CPD. The startup cost calculator and take-home pay calculator cover setup costs and tax. Get regulated financial advice before transferring an NHS pension.
Frequently asked questions
Manage your private practice diary, notes, agreements and payments in Bloom.