Can you insist on a referral to a hospital/consultant?

[CoolHands]

A close family member is not having a good experience with their GP over some health issues. I had a look to see if I could pay privately and found a consultant who works for St Georges hospital (nhs) and has the right specialisms etc. I was willing to pay. I email the secretary of said consultant to enquire if they took private patients, but they replied "Please note that Mrs xxxx does not see patients privately. Please request your GP to refer xxxxx to St. George's Hospital to be reviewed."

So my question is, how does this work? The GP practice has been terrible so far (keep seeing different locums; can't get appointments; exceedingly unhelpful; unreturned phones calls; another week goes by etc etc etc And (as they all are in my experience eg a lump I had on my neck and still have; and another issue) I would expect to be very combative / blocking with anything like this.

Does it cost the practice money if they make a referral? What skin is it off their nose? Can they make the referral or not, ie what determines whether they will or won't make a referral.

thanks

[otherman]

Just phone your local private hospital (eg Spire) and tell them you want to see whatever discipline of consultant. You'll be seen in days and you'll get sorted out properly.

[essayer]

The NHS GP can refer to a consultant, either NHS (possibly long wait time) or private at a hospital of choice.
Or you can go via a private GP who will refer to a consultant

[CoolHands]

otherman said:

Just phone your local private hospital (eg Spire) and tell them you want to see whatever discipline of consultant. You'll be seen in days and you'll get sorted out properly.

thanks I've gone down this route a good consultant appears to be available at a Spire hospital near us

[TheAngryDog]

You can request to see a specialist if you wish. This is how I managed to get to see an ENT about my Eustachian Tube disorder as I was getting no joy with my local ENT.

[otherman]

CoolHands said:

thanks I've gone down this route a good consultant appears to be available at a Spire hospital near us

]

If you've never used private before, I think you'll be amazed at the difference.

[anonymous-user]

otherman said:

If you've never used private before, I think you'll be amazed at the difference.

This. I needed an appointment to see a consultant, waiting time 30+ days on the NHS. Swapped to private, when can you come in sir ? Going in tonight.

[Joe M]

TheAngryDog said:

You can request to see a specialist if you wish. This is how I managed to get to see an ENT about my Eustachian Tube disorder as I was getting no joy with my local ENT.

Any more info on this? I've been referred to ent for something similar and they reckon the waiting list is 18 months.

[xx99xx]

You may struggle to get the initial referral from GP (for any condition) but if you persevere you can usually get a referral. In my experience, you can then request which NHS hospital you'd like to be referred to. I've done this twice for 2 separate conditions as my preference was to go to highly rated consultants in London, rather than local consultants.

[Lannister902]

Waiting time to see my consultant in hospital was once every 3 months, but it's more every 6 months.

Went private and been able to see him the following week, each time time I've wanted to see him.

[anonymous-user]

Joe M said:

Any more info on this? I've been referred to ent for something similar and they reckon the waiting list is 18 months.

Are you going private ? If so, just ask your doctor for a referral letter. They should also recommend a few different consultants too. I have done this with my doctor a few times. A note on their wall says the letters take up to 2 weeks, but mine normally take a few days and the last one was done the same day.

[The Mad Monk]

otherman said:

If you've never used private before, I think you'll be amazed at the difference.

Difference in cost? Yes.
Difference in speed of seeing people and speed of treatment? Yes.
Difference in quality of treatment? Probably not. Possibly worse.

[TheAngryDog]

Joe M said:

TheAngryDog said:

You can request to see a specialist if you wish. This is how I managed to get to see an ENT about my Eustachian Tube disorder as I was getting no joy with my local ENT.

Any more info on this? I've been referred to ent for something similar and they reckon the waiting list is 18 months.

Hi Joe,

I guess it depends on your condition and if you have been referred to a named ent or just an ent.

I asked for my ent by name (he's the only person in the country currently who deals with my condition - patulous eustachian tube disorder). If you ask for a referral and name the specialist you want to see then it seems to work quicker.

Question for the guys going private, do you have insurance to pay for that or are you just going to foot the bill?

[Sheepshanks]

Grahamdub said:

This. I needed an appointment to see a consultant, waiting time 30+ days on the NHS. Swapped to private, when can you come in sir ? Going in tonight.

If you want a particular consultant it not always like that - three week wait to see the one I wanted. And now she’s away for the whole of November.

[anonymous-user]

TheAngryDog said:

Question for the guys going private, do you have insurance to pay for that or are you just going to foot the bill?

I am on a company scheme. Definately had my money's worth !

[anonymous-user]

The Mad Monk said:

Difference in cost? Yes.
Difference in speed of seeing people and speed of treatment? Yes.
Difference in quality of treatment? Probably not. Possibly worse.

I think it depends on the hospital. One near us is stuck in the 70's (apart from the entrance which is like a shopping mall). The other is new and like an airport terminal. New equipment everywhere and a Costa on every corner. It is as good, if not better than the local private hospitals.

[Mr Pointy]

The Mad Monk said:

otherman said:

If you've never used private before, I think you'll be amazed at the difference.

Difference in cost? Yes.
Difference in speed of seeing people and speed of treatment? Yes.
Difference in quality of treatment? Probably not. Possibly worse.

Definately not true if you need a cataract operation. Want to see a NHS consultant? You need to be practically blind to be referred. If your sight is deemed bad enough (ie only if it's truly affecting your life) you'll only be offered the most basic lens & none of the ancilliary treatment that can improve the quality of the outcome. Have astigmatism? Tough st, you can't have a implanted lens to correct that, go & wear glasses for the rest of your life. Have an issue with the other eye that doesn't quite qualify for a new lens. Tough st, go away & try & cope with one eye with perfect vision & the other one uncorrected. That's what the NHS in my area offers.

[The Mad Monk]

Mr Pointy said:

efinately not true if you need a cataract operation. Want to see a NHS consultant? You need to be practically blind to be referred. If your sight is deemed bad enough (ie only if it's truly affecting your life) you'll only be offered the most basic lens & none of the ancilliary treatment that can improve the quality of the outcome. Have astigmatism? Tough st, you can't have a implanted lens to correct that, go & wear glasses for the rest of your life. Have an issue with the other eye that doesn't quite qualify for a new lens. Tough st, go away & try & cope with one eye with perfect vision & the other one uncorrected. That's what the NHS in my area offers.

Not my experience at all.

My cataracts were gradually getting worse, to a point where I would have struggled to pass the eyesight test for HGV, or PHV. My opthalmic optician (if that is the correct phrase) wrote to my GP recommending that I have the procedure, my surgery wrote to the local NHS hospital, who called me in. The hospital did the various tests and I was called in to have the procedure done with about seven other people. They worked through us like a production line.

Took the patch and other stuff off the next morning.

Wow!

I could see for miles!! Had the other eye done about six weeks later, similar exercise and similar result. Brilliant!

That was all NHS, didn't cost a penny and I couldn't fault them. "More tea, Mr Monk?" Better than going private.

[Mr Pointy]

The Mad Monk said:

Mr Pointy said:

efinately not true if you need a cataract operation. Want to see a NHS consultant? You need to be practically blind to be referred. If your sight is deemed bad enough (ie only if it's truly affecting your life) you'll only be offered the most basic lens & none of the ancilliary treatment that can improve the quality of the outcome. Have astigmatism? Tough st, you can't have a implanted lens to correct that, go & wear glasses for the rest of your life. Have an issue with the other eye that doesn't quite qualify for a new lens. Tough st, go away & try & cope with one eye with perfect vision & the other one uncorrected. That's what the NHS in my area offers.

Not my experience at all.

My cataracts were gradually getting worse, to a point where I would have struggled to pass the eyesight test for HGV, or PHV. My opthalmic optician (if that is the correct phrase) wrote to my GP recommending that I have the procedure, my surgery wrote to the local NHS hospital, who called me in. The hospital did the various tests and I was called in to have the procedure done with about seven other people. They worked through us like a production line.

Took the patch and other stuff off the next morning.

Wow!

I could see for miles!! Had the other eye done about six weeks later, similar exercise and similar result. Brilliant!

That was all NHS, didn't cost a penny and I couldn't fault them. "More tea, Mr Monk?" Better than going private.

But you haven't given the whole story. Do you have astigmatism & did the lens offered correct it? Were both eyes assesed as being below the minimum standard? Were you offered femosecond laser treatment? Which area are you in?

[768]

The Mad Monk said:

otherman said:

If you've never used private before, I think you'll be amazed at the difference.

Difference in cost? Yes.
Difference in speed of seeing people and speed of treatment? Yes.
Difference in quality of treatment? Probably not. Possibly worse.

The second of those can be a factor in the third. Quality otherwise is often no different because you're seeing the same person.