How to go about a private GP appointment.

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Would be grateful for any advice as I think my brain has glitched.

How do I go about booking a private GP face to face appointment ? It is for suspected stomach cancer. Is bupa better than Nuffield, do I need to find one that specialises in Gastric or pain relief? Or are they generalists? Google is giving me the impression that I need to book a face to face at a private hospital as opposed to a clinic based GP.

Dh has seen his Nhs GP and has been referred on the two week pathway, but is in pain and needs to know what he is facing. Nhs GP has refused pain relief other than paracetamol and has refused a sick note for his work. Apparently they are two separate issues and need two more appointments - the next available appointment is a month away. He only managed to get an emergency appointment after 2 weeks of daily phoning. Dh was prescribed antacids. He had been referred for blood tests, (2 weeks for results) stool tests (2 weeks for results) and endoscopy. Our local A and E has some of the worst wait times (18+ hours) and understandably Dh would rather be in pain at home rather than on the floor of an and e. The hospital wait for scans which are around 26 weeks.

There are lots of private gps but lots of them have exclusions for things they won’t treat. I think you might be better seeing a private oncologist here?

I’m so so sorry you are in this situation. I find doctify very useful for recommendations and you could look for an oncologist in your area and call their private medical secretary. They will be able to tell you if they can help with sick notes and painkillers

Near me the private hospital does GP appointments for a fee. I would find
your nearest one and phone them to ask. I agree that you prob need a GP referral before seeing a private specialist - but you will also need a private healthcare plan to see the specialist i think.

@MissHavershamReturns thank you. That actually does make more sense to me. Back to google.

@Mintearo7 Bugger. Was hoping we didn’t need private health care insurance. Was thinking we could pay as we go. We have (torrential) rainy day funds and after pain relief/control, frankly just need to know what we are actually facing.

We are only too well aware that if it is cancer the prognosis is not good.

If it is deemed urgent he won't be waiting 26 weeks for scans. Many nhs trusts use private hospital facilities to reduce the wait. Blood tests results can be anything from hours to a few days. As to the pain maybe 111 can get him an out of hours appointment,

I've seen a consultant privately without health insurance (for heart issues not cancer). They tick a box for self funding and send you a bill.

You can see consultant without private health insurance and some will see you without gp referral

In my case they used the NHS referral as their referral into the private system (secretary looked it up on the system and found it). The consultant ran his private appointments out of the NHS hospital where he works!

@LIZS The waiting times for tests to come back and scans are what the nhs Gp has quoted us yesterday. She did say the endoscopy has been requested under the two week pathway, but that might be longer than two weeks.
I am guessing that scans refer to ultrasound, ct or mri if subsequently deemed necessary? Not the endoscopy.

111 have not been helpful on the appointment front. I don’t blame them, we’ve just had a gp surgery closed down and all those patients scattered around existing surgeries.

I’m sorry too that you find yourself in this situation.

You absolutely can self-fund and definitely don’t need insurance (lots of insurance policies don’t even cover GP appointments anyway). Please don’t worry about that.

What are you hoping to get from a private appointment? Just stronger pain relief and the sick note whilst you wait for the NHS referral to come through? Or more? If the former, any private GP should be able to help.

It would be no use seeing an oncologist without a diagnosis first and a private GP would only order all the tests that your own GP has and you will likely not be seen any quicker than under the 2 week protocol (it's max 2 weeks so may be quicker). Blood and stool test usually only take a couple of days.

@SummerWillow now that sounds fab. I have all DH referral paperwork with reference numbers etc.

I'm sorry you're in this position, it's really hard isn't it. I just had similar with an ovarian cancer scare and had a private ultrasound because three weeks felt like too long to wait when I'd already waited ages just to see the gp.
You will probably need a referral letter from your gp but once you have that you could book a private endoscopy, that's presumably the key test you need isn't it?
Can I ask why you think stomach cancer is so likely? I had gastritis once and it was absolute agony and I could barely eat for months. In the end they assumed it was a duodenal ulcer.
Has he been tested for h pylori for instance? Because he should have that test before starting ppi's

I’m not sure if it’s the same in all areas , and I’m happy to be corrected if I’ve been given wrong information, however I’m currently waiting for a hospital consultants appointment after being on the two week pathway for a different specialist. The next wait is 12 months , so we discussed paying to go private but was told if I did then ongoing treatment would also be private as I would be taken off the NHS list once the private referral was made . In effect I couldn’t have a private consultation and tests to find out what was wrong and then go back on the NHS list for treatment for it if that makes sense . Might just be worth checking if the same applies in your case .

@Theraffarian argh. (Very loud angry scream). That’s so wrong and unfair, and I’m lost for words. But I’m very grateful for the heads up and will definitely ask before proceeding, because our rainy day fund definitely does have a bottom to it.

If you have a specific condition / diagnosis in mind, then have a look at your local NHS hospital to find the list of consultants who treat it. Then go on to the BUPA consultant finder and type in their name to see if they also offer private appointments. You can then contact them directly to arrange a private appointment.

You can find a specialist and speak to them, and they can advise you on what tests you need and get those arranged. You don't need a diagnosis of cancer to speak to an oncologist. They will offer you advice / treatment / tests etc to explore your condition.

FWIW, my experience is that I found a lump, searched the BUPA website for breast cancer specialists near me and made an appointment. She examined me and sent me for tests the same day. I received a diagnosis a week later and started treatment a week after that. All private (as I have cover through work) but I could have transferred to the NHS at any point and she would have still been the doctor treating me via the NHS.

@littlebox yes : Dh (59) hasn’t been to a dr for 35 years. I’ve only seen him cry once - when we had his dog pts.

Dh was born with hiatus hernia and oesophageal ulcers. He’s had several surgeries resulting in a stricture. Been fine and medication free other than otc antacids and no spicy/acidic foods, since last surgery 35 years ago. Two weeks ago, began to feel unwell - tried to make a dr appointment which is highly unusual for him, couldn’t get one for a month, In the intervening two weeks he has deteriorated daily - he has lost 30kg in weight and is now border line bmi, he looks like a walking skeleton. He has stomach pain, stricture pain, back pain, shoulder and leg pain, cannot ear and has no appetite (is on fortisip and soft scrambled eggs) struggles to drink, he is very cold and extremely tired, struggles to walk and struggles to breathe. Cannot get comfortable to sleep and until last night was crying out in pain. He’s terrified. So am I.

The nhs GP has plastered all his paperwork with investigation for suspected stomach cancer. She said it’s her number one suspicion for what is wrong. But has ordered the test for h pylori. He’s already been started on famotidine. OTC antacids don’t work.

@GreenTrees00 Thank you. I was hoping that would be the case.

@XiCi i can only go one what the nhs gp said for the results, which was two weeks for bloods and stool test results. Would hope it would be much quicker though.

@PitterPatter3 Dh needs pain relief/control but he wants to know definitely what is causing him to be so unwell. We are both proactive people, and need to have control - or at least pretend we have control of what is happening. If Dh knows it is cancer then we know and can make some decisions or at least start to think about future needs sooner.

dh cannot do his job - hgv supermarket driver on nights. He can barely walk to the end of the garden without needing to sit down today. His employer has been told he won’t be back this week, but will need a sick note beyond this Thursday. No way will Dh improve between then and now.

I really hope you're seen quickly OP. I've been referred under the 2 week protocol twice (skin and breast) and both times seen within a week. In the case of the skin one was seen the next day and nowhere near as urgent as your DH sounds so fingers crossed you won't need the private route. I do understand that feeling of wanting to be seen immediately though. It must be terrifying for you both at the moment.

Go onto your local hospital site and see who covers Upper GI, you may already have been given a name by your GP?? Cross check with those who also do private work. Ring their secretaries and explain you have been referred on two weeks pathway, but would it be quicker to be seen by Mr/Mrs X in their private clinic. Your husband is really suffering and you are prepared to pay. These secretaries are usually lovely, and will check and give you an honest assessment of wait times.

PP is wrong. You can absolutely swap out of private for treatment. Once again make sure your consultant dies both. We have swapped in and out.

For the sick note does the GP have a messaging system you can use? Explaining that per GP appointment too sick to work but not yet seem hospital?

I would make an appointment with an upper GI specialist at the Spire or Nuffield. How near London are you? If you phone the secretaries of some they may fit you in quicker?