Same-Day Assessment

Private Head Injury Assessment in Elstree

Same-day assessment of minor head injuries by experienced emergency medicine doctors. Structured examination against NICE CG176 head injury guidelines, written take-home advice, and immediate onward referral if imaging or admission is needed. Adults and children aged 1 and over.

Adult consultation £110 · child consultation £95 (ages 1–15). For loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, anticoagulant use, suspected skull injury, or any red-flag feature listed below — call 999or attend A&E directly.

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When We Can Help

When a Head Injury Assessment Helps

Most head bumps and minor injuries don’t need a hospital. They do benefit from a structured clinical examination against the NICE criteria for who needs imaging vs who can be observed safely at home. Common presentations we see:

Bumped head with no loss of consciousness

Mild knock to the head, brief discomfort, you remember the event clearly — assessment for reassurance and to rule out red-flag features.

Mild headache or dizziness after a fall

Persistent symptoms in the hours following an injury, where you'd like clinical assessment without an A&E wait.

Child bumped their head

Children 1+ who've taken a knock during play or sport, with no red-flag features — paediatric examination and family-friendly reassurance.

Post-injury uncertainty

"Should I be worried?" cases — concussion concern after sport, work injury, cycling fall — clinical judgement on whether onward imaging is needed.

Sports head impact

Rugby, football, cycling, equestrian — concussion screening and return-to-play guidance.

Minor head wound needing closure

Cuts to the scalp or face from minor head trauma — wound care plus a head-injury assessment in one visit. See also our cuts and wounds page.

Important Safety Information

When You Should Go to A&E, Not Us

Head injuries with any of the following features need hospital-level care — CT imaging and admission if needed — not private urgent care. Call 999 or attend your nearest A&E directly if any of these apply:

Red flags — A&E directly:

  • Loss of consciousness at any point — even briefly
  • Two or more episodes of vomiting after the injury
  • Persistent or worsening headache that pain relief doesn't help
  • Confusion, drowsiness, or difficulty staying awake
  • Any seizure (fit) since the injury
  • Visible skull deformity, or bleeding from ear or nose
  • Numbness, weakness, slurred speech, or visual disturbance
  • Patient on anticoagulant medication (warfarin, DOACs, etc.)
  • Adults aged 65+ following a fall, especially with bruising or bleeding
  • Suspected non-accidental injury in a child
  • Significant mechanism — high-speed road accident, fall from height, assault

These criteria follow NICE CG176 head injury guidelines and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine head injury position. If you’re unsure, call NHS 111 for free clinical advice.

Call 999

Your Visit

What Happens at Your Visit

Triage and history

Our triage nurse takes a detailed history of how the injury happened, any loss of consciousness, vomiting, headache, drowsiness, and your medication list (especially any anticoagulants). This information drives the rest of the assessment — mechanism plus medication often determines whether you’re safely managed here or need hospital imaging.

Structured neurological examination

Glasgow Coma Scale assessment, pupil and gaze examination, motor and sensory testing of the limbs, balance and coordination, and examination of the head and neck for any signs of skull or cervical spine injury. The findings map onto NICE CG176 criteria for whether you need imaging or can be observed at home with safety advice.

Decision and plan

Based on history and examination, we follow one of these pathways:

  • No red flags identified: Reassurance, written take-home advice covering 24-hour observation, pain management plan, and clear red-flag symptoms that should bring you back urgently.
  • Wound or laceration to scalp/face: Wound cleaning and closure (sutures, glue, or steri-strips as clinically indicated), tetanus assessment, dressing.
  • Concussion symptoms present: Concussion management plan, return-to-activity guidance, advice on driving, screen time, and sport — with a follow-up review timeline.
  • Red-flag features — onward referral: Stabilisation, pain management, and immediate transfer or referral to A&E for CT imaging and admission. We arrange this directly during your visit, with full documentation handed over.

Transparent Pricing

What It Costs and How Long It Takes

Consultation fee: £110 for adults (16+), £95 for children (1–15). Covers the full clinical assessment and written take-home advice.

Wound care (if needed): minor scalp or facial laceration cleaning and closure may incur additional cost — explained in advance.

Time on site: typically 30–60 minutes for a standard head injury assessment. Longer if observation or onward referral is needed.

Insurance: we provide detailed receipts for submission to your insurer. Submit-receipt only — no direct billing.

After Your Visit

Aftercare and Observation

You leave with written take-home advice covering:

  • The clinical findings and the reasoning for our advice
  • A 24-48 hour observation plan — what to monitor, when to wake them through the night if appropriate
  • Pain relief guidance and any relevant medication advice
  • Activity guidance — driving, screen time, sport, work
  • Red-flag symptoms that should bring you back urgently or send you straight to A&E: worsening or persistent headache, repeated vomiting, drowsiness or difficulty waking, confusion, weakness, slurred speech, vision changes, any seizure

We can send a copy of the discharge letter to your GP on request. For sport-related concussion, we’ll provide a return-to-activity plan you can share with your coach or physio.

Common Questions

Common Questions about Head Injury Assessment

Do you do CT scans on site?

No. CT imaging for head injuries is a hospital service. If your assessment indicates CT is needed per NICE CG176 criteria, we'll arrange immediate transfer to the appropriate hospital service with full clinical documentation. For everyone else — the majority of minor head injuries — clinical examination and structured assessment by an experienced emergency medicine doctor is the right level of care, and that's what we provide.

What if my child bumped their head?

Children aged 1 and over are welcome. Our doctors apply paediatric-specific assessment criteria — we look at behaviour, alertness, feeding, and any persistent vomiting alongside the standard examination. We don't see children under 1; for younger infants with any head injury, contact your GP, NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency. Most childhood head bumps are minor — the assessment is mainly for reassurance and to identify the small minority that need imaging.

How long should I monitor someone after a minor head injury?

NHS guidance recommends 24-48 hours of observation after a minor head injury. You'll leave with written take-home advice covering exactly what to watch for — worsening headache, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, weakness, vision changes — and a clear plan for what to do if any of these develop.

I'm on anticoagulants and I bumped my head. What should I do?

Anticoagulant use is a red flag for any head injury, however minor it seems — the bleeding risk is materially higher. Don't wait. Call 999 or attend A&E directly so a CT scan can be done. We can offer reassurance and clinical advice, but a CT scan is the right test in this scenario, and we'd refer you straight on for one anyway.

When can I drive, exercise, or play sport again?

It depends on whether you have any concussion symptoms. For an uncomplicated bump with no symptoms, normal activity can usually resume within hours. With concussion symptoms (headache, dizziness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating), guidance follows graded return-to-activity protocols — your doctor will give you a specific plan. For sport, RFU and FA concussion guidance recommends a phased return; we'll explain how this applies to your case.

Do I need a GP referral?

No. You can walk in or book online directly. Our emergency medicine doctors assess head injuries at the level the situation needs — examination, observation guidance, wound care, and onward referral if needed.

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Same-Day Head Injury Assessment

Our clinicians are GMC-registered emergency medicine doctors. We’re CQC registered and operate as part of Centennial Medical Care, with more than 70 consultants and healthcare professionals across 26 specialties.

Emergency medicine doctors Centennial Medical network CQC registered

Open seven days: Mon–Fri 8am–8pm · Sat–Sun 9am–6pm

Centennial Park, Centennial Ave, Elstree, Borehamwood WD6 3FG · Free on-site parking

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Last reviewed: 5 May 2026

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