If you pay to see a consultant privately and you then need treating, can you be referred back to NHS ??

[TheOriginalNutcracker]

Or do you have to stay as a private patient ??

Even seeing a consultant and getting an xray is probably out of my financial limits, but I just wondered.

No you don't have to continue as a private patient. DD2 is seeing a dermatologist privately at the moment. After the initial consultation we had the option of continuing to see him privately or joining the queue for the NHS for the treatment.

Thank you.

Is there anyway of finding out how much a consultation would be ??

Dd needs to see a paediatric orthopedic surgeon that specialises in scoliosis.

Yes, definitely - we saw a Paediatrician for DD for gross motor skill delay and she recommended that we went back into the NHS as they are better geared towards getting schools involved with any treatment.

If you know who you want to see, you can usually contact the hospital that they practise from and ask them to give you a cost. I think our paed consultation was £250, but my Gynae charges £150 - £165, so costs can vary.

Thank's Tatty.

I would like to see the consultant that she has been referred to already on the NHS. Will he definitely do private too, or does that vary ??

The wait to see him on the nhs is basically unknown. Dd has been waiting for 14 weeks so far and all they can say is that there is a back log, and that she will have to wait quite a bit longer.

No idea how long the wait would be for private. If I ring the consultants secretary, will she be able to tell me that, and how much it would cost ??

I'd also like dd to have an xray so that the angle of her curve can be established.

Most consultants do private work as well in my experience. Have you tried googling him / her to see if you can find contact details?

I did this with a dermatologist, my GP wouldn't refer me on the NHS as my condition wasn't considered serious enough, I saw the consultant once privately and he transferred me to his NHS list thereafter.

Very different consultations though, private = 45 minutes in very lavish office with plenty of time to talk through everything including chat about my job which was in a related field. NHS = 5 mins in a dingy basement with barely time to cover the essentials.

In this case he worked from two hospitals, one private and one NHS, he had a secretary in each, but both were in contact with each other, so definitely worth speaking to his secretary.

nope DD2 eye consultant was private and then went to NHS and got the same man!

Thank you all, that is really helpful.

I have googled him, but not found any details of a private clinic.

Have just looked on Bupa and found another consultant that specialises in the same thing though.

My mum took me privately to see a dermatologist whcih was £50 (1998 tho ). He referred me to his NHS clinic and I got an appointment really quickly as I needed it.

Nutty - ring his NHS secretary, ask if he sees private patients and for his private sec's number. Just ring and ask for the price of a private consult and x-ray. They'll chat with you about cost no problem.

Yes, definatley. I saw a neurologist privately as my GP was very slow to refer and she called me up the next day and said I had to go an admit myself to the NHS hospital where she then saw me as an NHS in patient.

With regards to payment it is very straight forward if you are going down the likes of BUPA etc. Just phone the hospital as them about self funding and they should give you the price of everything over the phone.

The hosiptal I was at (BUPA) seemed to be totally geared up for people paying.

I think I was about £250 for a consultant consultation if this helps..

That's great, will try and ring after work tomorrow.

Xrays are v expensive privately; usually 200-300 at least. Sometimes you can get GP referral for nHS xray which can be quite quick & take that to private consultant if they are happy to work with nhs xray.

Hmm, blimey it is complicated isn't it.

I could just about run to the cost of a consultation, but not that price for an x-ray.

I wouldn't mind so much if the hospital would at least tell me how long dd is going to have to wait on the nhs, but they just keep saying that they don't know.

My DH had terrible back problems 3 years ago. The NHS Ortho wait became unbearable and we paid for one private consultation (probably on here somewhere how much it cost). The Consultant was great, confirmed DS needed sorting, confirmed we had no money or insurance (my Mum paid for the appt as DH was out of work) and booked him an urgernt MRI scan the next week + a follow up with him for results at his NHS clinic immediately after :)