Medically reviewed by
Medically reviewed by
Dr Amanda Northridge
GP & Medical Reviewer·MBBS·GMC 2847829
Speak to a GP today — video within 90 minutes, or in-clinic in Manchester the same day if needed. Prescription sent to your pharmacy if appropriate.
GP appointments from £125 — see full pricing
Enough for most UTIs. Seen today — prescription sent to your pharmacy.
For an exam or urine test — same-day appointments in Manchester.
A qualified GP reviews your symptoms and medical history. Video or in-clinic.
Your GP explains the diagnosis clearly and sets out the right treatment for you.
If clinically indicated, a prescription is sent to your pharmacy the same day.
UTIs happen when bacteria — most often E. coli from the bowel — enter the urinary tract. They're common and usually not serious, but they often don't clear up on their own, and many people need antibiotics to recover fully. A few things make them more likely:
If you have severe pain, blood in urine or high fever, go to A&E or call 999.
UTI symptoms overlap with a few other common conditions. If you're not sure, a GP can tell the difference quickly and start the right treatment the same day.
For most uncomplicated UTIs in adult women, yes. NICE guidance supports diagnosis and treatment on the consultation alone — your GP takes a history, checks your symptom pattern, and prescribes appropriate antibiotics if the picture fits. You leave with a prescription sent straight to your pharmacy.
Often no. For straightforward UTI symptoms a GP can diagnose on the consultation. If your symptoms are unclear, recurrent, or you're pregnant or male, your GP will arrange a urine dip or send a sample to the lab and share the timeline at your appointment, then follow up with the result.
If the consultation points to a bacterial UTI and antibiotics are appropriate, the prescription is sent electronically to your nominated pharmacy straight after the call — most patients pick it up within the hour.
Burning, urgency and frequency can also be thrush, an STI, interstitial cystitis, or — with fever and back pain — a kidney infection. Your GP works through the pattern in the appointment and either treats what fits or arranges the right test or referral.
Yes. Recurrent UTIs (three or more in a year, or two in six months) need a closer look — your GP reviews triggers, checks for resistance patterns from previous courses, and may arrange longer-term prevention or specialist referral rather than another standard course.
Most patients feel substantially better within 24–48 hours of starting antibiotics. If you're no better after three days, getting worse, or developing fever or back pain, contact us — that's a sign the bug isn't responding or it's not a UTI after all.
Video or in-clinic, 15 minutes. Your GP takes a focused history, examines you, and explains what they think is going on.
Blood tests, swabs, urine samples or imaging — your GP arranges what fits and shares the timeline at the appointment.
Prescriptions sent electronically to your pharmacy after the call. Sick notes issued at the visit. Specialist referral letters written the same day when needed.
Sources: NHS Urinary tract infections (UTIs)