Help a foreigner to express herself properly

[emkana]

I've had ongoing health problems all summer, seeing various GP's with various treatments. By September the problem seemed to be sorted at last, but now it's coming back with a vengeance and I've sooooooooo had enough. So I want to see a specialist, which should be okay because I'm privately insured through dh's work. But how do I say this to the GP? You might think this question stupid, but I thought I made the right noises in previous consultations with GP's, but they seemed to ignore me! So want to make myself clear without displaying German rudeness/bluntness - see other thread...
TIA

Just ask him in your nicest way how long the specialist waiting list is. It worked for me when I wanted to take my kid for allergy tests. They will soon tell you. I was a medical secretary and I found out that if you don't ask, you will not get. (Cutting costs.) The same old story.....

Sy it as you've just said it to me. You didn't sound rude just assertive.

ha - good luck emkana. But be warned, most GPs are completely arrogant, and need to believe its their own idea.

I saw loads of GPs who didnt believe that my condition existed. In the end, I had to sit in a GPs surgery and cry and insist that I would only believe that I didnt suffer from this condition if I heard it from the lips of London's leading specialist.

GP accordingly referred me, together with a letter to the specialist asking him to tell me that I was not suffering from this condition, so that mental treatment could begin.
Guess what - the specialist confirmed MY diagnosis that I was indeed suffering from this condition.

it is so much easier in Germany

What I don't get though is - I'm on private health insurance, so can the GP actually refuse me if I ask for it or is it entirely my choice whether I want to see a specialist?

I think you just say "we have private insurance, can I get a referral, please?" (I've never done it, though - I just self-refer for physio and then never bother getting the letter etc.)

Alternatively, your insurance company will probably run some sort of support line, staffed by nurses. I know BUPA does. That might get you to the right place? You don't actually need a GP referral to see a private specialist, from my experience.

Oh, yes, actually, I've used private healthcare a few times (pregnancy scan, fertility scan) and as long as you know who you want to see, you just call them, and then pay. You only need a referral as much as the insurance company requires it (and they generally do, I think). So really, you're just asking your GP to write you a letter. They might charge you for this.

I think you'll probably need a GP referral in order to get the insurance to pay up for the specialist consultation (so they don't end up paying for everyone who thinks they've got a problem self referring) also the specialist will need your medical records from the GP for the consultation. Just go to your GP and say the problem is back and you'd like a private referral.