How to go about a private GP appointment.

[Alphabet1spaghetti2]

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.

This is unacceptable. Our results come back next day.... I am so sorry you are having these delays.

@KnittedCardi Was it recently that you swapped between private and NHS for diagnosis and treatment ? I knew it used to be possible but was told 3 weeks ago that it’s no longer the case . If so I will call them again as it would make a huge difference to me .

@Lovecatsanddogs we are Derby area. Nottingham and Leicester look like the nearest for Nuffield, Spire and Bupa.

@NowYouSee according to the website - yes, but in reality no. Everything is either telephone via the receptionist or 07:50am on the doorstep, but only if you are in the top 10 or so in the queue. It almost feels like we’ve returned to the 1970s when we queued up to get given a red or blue number and sat in the waiting room until that number was called.

You could see a private gastroenterologist and self fund

Thank you everyone on this thread. I’m making a list of who and what to ask for regarding private gp/consult etc.

I would ring them
all up Monday morning and ask how soon you can see an upper GI specialist. Explain the urgency . When you get find one who can see you earliest then book it but also go on the cancellation list and maybe also ring email their secretary for an earlier appointment .It is a consultant you need not a GP as upper GI would cover liver, stomach and pancreas.

@Lovecatsanddogs Ok. I will start making a telephone list. Makes sense. I’ve booked Monday morning off work for this.

Good luck if you are prepared to
be flexible you can hopefully see someone this week.

@Lovecatsanddogs thank you. We are very very flexible. ( and I need to doing something)

Why on earth has the GP refused a sick note.? Try writing an old fashioned letter to your GP AND copy to practice manager asking for GP to phone you urgently to explain as he cannot walk to bottom of garden and has lost 30kg. If no response in two days ring practice manager and hassle.

As above he needs to see a gastroenterologist or an upper GI surgeon to investigate these symptoms, not an oncologist or another GP

If referred on 2WW his tests should come through quickly on NHS anyhow.

Might have missed it but when did he see/speak to his GP? If his pain is severe over weekend his options are 111 and try to get an out of hours GP appointment , A&E or urgent care. Wait might not be 15 hours. Alternatively he could call GP back on Monday and ask to see another GP or speak to the duty doctor.

@Elsewhere123 I’ve no idea what her thoughts were on refusing a sick note. She has seen how ill Dh looks, and noted that the weight loss alone is serious enough to warrant investigation without his other symptoms. I do get that he can self certify for one week - I can only think that she doesn’t see it as problematic in getting a gp appointment in order to get a sick note for after that week as she said that a request for pain relief and a sick note was two more separate issues and required two more separate appointments. - which to me is madness, surely it’s all part of the same illness/presentation or whatever it’s called today, I could understand it being separate issue requiring multiple appointments if he had asked her to check a mole and asked for foreign travel
vaccination services within one appointment as they are clearly different things!

@Theraffarian This year. Both myself and DD had a series of tests covered under a company scheme, which ended when DH retired. I managed to squeeze my treatment in-between Xmas and New Year, so that was covered but the consultant said she would shift me across if needed. DD's consultant has transferred her over to his NHS list this year for further tests.

Many consultants will allow you to swap between private and NHS, particularly if you don't have insurance. I am doing this for cardiac investigations as the NHS wait is months. The consultant said if I need invasive treatment he will refer back into his NHS service. It was a conflict he was comfortable with as I need urgent investigation and paying takes me off his huge NHS waiting list. It shouldn't be like this but sadly it is.

@Piggletta he saw his nhs gp yesterday as an emergency appointment. We don’t have an urgent care facility (it closed two years ago) not an out of hours. Only an and e - which would explain the long waiting times. I’ve spoken to a pharmacist today, and they have said if things get bad to ring 111 and ask for the paramedic car to be sent. Which I will do if necessary without Dh consent.
The only way he might get to see his gp on Monday is to wait on the doorstep with everyone else at 07:50 and hope he gets issued an appointment face to face later the same day.

@elastamum I agree. But I’m really grateful right now we can afford to skip that waiting list.

If he is in pain, can you go to Derby A&E. they will triage him and if not feel he needs A&E they have a Gp on site that they send to, which is a way to get pain relief.

or as it is the weekend, phone 111 to get an urgent medical appointment for pain relief.

Ring the practice manager and ask the rules for issuing sick note. The GP may have got it wrong.

@Timeforachocolate I didn’t know that so thank you!!! Have just told Dh and I think it’s a distinct possibility he’s going to agree that I will shove him in the car and drive him there.

@Elsewhere123 I would hope that she has. But you just never know with the nhs these days.

Derby Hospital website says it has a triage streaming room and a Gp co-located at A and E. I know relatives have also used it.

maybe take some pillows, a blanket etc for comfort whilst waiting, a charger, fluids, book etc.

@Alphabet1spaghetti2, I went to my NHS GP at the end of last year for suspected MS. He referred me to the neurology department at the local hospital and was told the wait to be seen by a Neurologist was 48-52 weeks. I googled Neurologists in my local area, and made an appointment with him.
I got my GP to send another referral to the private Dr. Once I'd seen him and paid for scans, he transferred me onto his NHS neuro department for treatment. I could have had the scans done on the NHS, but again the wait was too long.

Hate to say it, but I spent all night in the waiting room at Derby after arriving with cardiac pain before going home the next day as they had no idea when I might be seen by cardiology. Hence the private appointment. Take a pillow, a blanket and some food.

You can book a consultant appointment directly through the website of Derby Nuffield hospital if they also practice there. Then ask the GP to write a referral.

@elastamum This is our concern at our local a and e with wait times of 18+ hours and it’s the weekend. I can understand why Dh is reluctant to go, preferring to be in pain but at home.

Will check out Nuffield derby. My Monday plan is contact all of them within reasonable distance and take the earliest appointment I can get for Dh. Even if it’s a private gp, at least pain relief and a sick note (I guess even a remote consult for these two issues?) is sorted, if it’s a consultant then even better. Dh is concerned about work as they are terrible at the best of times, but it’s something I can deal with for him.