Sick in your London hotel? What to do in the first hour, from a doctor who treats travellers
You flew in this morning, the meeting is tomorrow, and you are lying on a hotel bed in London feeling genuinely awful. It happens to thousands of travellers every week, and the first hour matters more than any other: what you do next decides whether tonight is a minor blip or a lost trip. The good news is that you have more options than the hotel first-aid kit and a long night on a plastic chair in an emergency department. At The Online GP by The Wellness, we look after unwell hotel guests across central London every week, most of them within the hour. Here is the honest guide we would want a friend to have.
Key points
Most travel illness is miserable but manageable: stomach bugs, colds and flu, migraines, and medication problems top the list.
A phone consultation with a UK doctor costs from £59 and usually settles what to do within 15 minutes, without leaving your room.
Prescriptions can be sent electronically to a pharmacy near your hotel, often within the hour.
Chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of stroke, severe allergic reaction or heavy bleeding mean call 999, not a GP.
Your hotel's concierge can help, and many London hotels now arrange doctor assessments for guests directly.
Step one: work out what kind of unwell you are
Before you do anything, take sixty seconds to place yourself in one of three groups:
Emergency. Chest pain, sudden severe breathlessness, face or arm weakness or slurred speech, fainting, severe abdominal pain that does not ease, a rapidly spreading rash with fever, or a severe allergic reaction. This group calls 999 now. Do not wait, and do not let embarrassment talk you out of it.
Needs a doctor, not an ambulance. High fever that will not settle, vomiting that leaves you unable to keep fluids down, a painful ear or throat, a urinary infection, a migraine that is worse than your usual, or an injury you suspect is more than a sprain. This group needs proper medical advice today, but almost never needs a hospital corridor.
Self-limiting. A heavy cold, mild stomach upset with fluids staying down, jet lag, a sore back after the flight. This group needs rest, fluids, pharmacy basics and a day of patience.
The hard part is that the middle group and the last group blur together when you are tired and far from home. That uncertainty is exactly what a short consultation exists to resolve.
Step two: use the room, not the waiting room
The single biggest mistake unwell travellers make is assuming medical help means travelling to it. In central London it is the other way round:
Phone or video consultation. A GMC-registered doctor can assess most hotel-room illness remotely: stomach bugs, respiratory infections, skin problems, medication questions, honest triage. At The Online GP, a phone consultation costs £59 for 15 minutes and a video consultation £150, usually available the same day, often within the hour.
Prescriptions to a nearby pharmacy. If you need medication, it is sent electronically to a pharmacy near your hotel. Your concierge will often collect it for you.
An in-room visit when you need examining. Some problems need hands on: an ear that needs looking into, a chest that needs listening to, a child who needs assessing. In-room GP visits can be arranged across Marylebone, Mayfair, Soho, Fitzrovia, Paddington and Knightsbridge, or you can be seen at our clinic at Unit 4, 10 Portman Square, London W1H 6AZ.
Step three: let the hotel help
Good hotels handle unwell guests every week and they are genuinely good at it. Tell the concierge you are unwell rather than battling on silently: they can bring water and simple food, arrange a later checkout, collect prescriptions, and in many cases arrange a doctor to assess you directly. A growing number of London hotels keep a private GP service on call for exactly this situation.
The medication question
Two of the most common hotel-room problems are medication problems. If you have run out of a regular prescription medicine, a UK doctor can often issue an emergency supply after assessing you; bring whatever evidence you have (the box, a photo of your repeat list, your home pharmacy's details). If you fell ill before flying and are wondering whether to travel home, a doctor can assess fitness to fly and provide a letter where appropriate. Neither problem needs a night in an emergency department.
What it costs, honestly
Walk-in urgent care in central London typically costs £100 to £250 before any prescription, with a wait in a room full of other unwell people. Emergency departments are free at the point of use for genuine emergencies, but for non-emergencies the wait can run to many hours, and overseas visitors may face charges for hospital treatment. A phone consultation at £59 resolves most situations from your bed, and you will know within minutes whether you need anything more. The NHS 111 service is always available for free advice; what we offer is speed, a doctor's full attention, and treatment arranged around your trip.
Why travellers choose The Online GP by The Wellness
Because the alternative to our £59 call is an anxious evening of guesswork in a strange city. Our doctors assess you properly, tell you plainly which group you are in, and fix what can be fixed tonight: a prescription to the pharmacy around the corner, a plan for the morning, or an honest instruction to go to hospital. Most guests tell us the peace of mind alone was worth the call.
Book a phone consultation from £59, message us on WhatsApp at +44 7961 280835, or call 020 3951 3429. If your hotel arranged us, mention your hotel when you call. Travelling with children? Our guide to croup and the barking night cough is the one parents read at 2am, and our norovirus guide covers the stomach bug sweeping this season. Hotels looking after guests can read about arranging a doctor on call for your hotel.
Frequently asked questions
Can a doctor really help without examining me?
For the majority of travel illness, yes. Stomach bugs, colds and flu, urinary infections, skin problems, migraines and medication issues are assessed largely on history, and video lets a doctor see what matters. When examination is essential, we say so and arrange an in-room visit or clinic appointment instead.
How fast can I be seen?
Phone and video consultations are usually available the same day, often within the hour, including evenings and weekends. In-room visits depend on the hour and your hotel's location; we always give you an honest timescale before anything is arranged.
Will my travel insurance cover a private GP?
Many travel policies reimburse private GP consultations and prescriptions for acute illness abroad. We provide an itemised receipt and a consultation summary you can submit with your claim. Check your policy for its outpatient benefit.
What if I need medication my UK doctor cannot prescribe?
UK prescribing rules are strict about certain medicines, particularly controlled drugs. A doctor will always tell you honestly what can and cannot be issued, and will find the closest safe alternative where one exists. We never promise a prescription before an assessment.
I am not registered with any UK doctor. Can you still see me?
Yes. The Online GP is a private service and there is no registration requirement. We look after international visitors every week, and your consultation summary is yours to take home to your own doctor.
How much does a consultation cost at The Online GP?
Phone consultations are £59 for 15 minutes, video consultations £150, and in-person appointments £220 at our clinic at Unit 4, 10 Portman Square, London W1H 6AZ. In-room hotel visits are priced when arranged, depending on the hour and location, and we always confirm the cost before the doctor sets off.
References
NHS: Healthcare for visitors to the UK, reviewed 2024.
NHS 111: when to use the service, 2024.
NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries: acute illness in adults and children, 2024.
UKHSA: health advice for travellers, 2025.
Written by The Wellness Team and medically reviewed by The Wellness Clinical Team. This article is general information and is not a substitute for a personal consultation. In a medical emergency, call 999.