These days more people are choosing to pay for private healthcare, either because of long NHS waiting times or because they value direct access to a specialist. However, this often raises concerns around private treatment costs.
The first thing to highlight is that healthcare has always been a premium service, we are just shielded from this in the UK thanks to the incredible wonder that is the NHS. The investment of time and money in professional training and regulation required to ensure safe and effective care, along with the cost of medical technology, means that modern healthcare will always cost more than many other services we are used to paying for. This does not, however, always justify the very high prices that some clinicians charge, or guarantee that you will receive the most evidence-based care, so it is essential to ‘shop around’ to compare prices and do some research to consider the quality of private care you will receive.
Secondly, when calculating the total cost of private healthcare, it is important to remember that you may require further diagnostic tests, a course of treatment, or follow-up assessments. This is called a ‘pathway of care’ and you should feel free to ask what this may involve before parting with any money.
In my own practice a pathway of care typically involves an initial assessment (with diagnostic ultrasound performed at the time of assessment for no extra cost) which may be followed by a recommendation for further tests (such as MRI) to confirm the diagnosis. The cost of any additional tests are in addition to my fees and I will recommend the most cost effective options for these during the consultation. Once the diagnosis is clearly established I will provide advice on ongoing management (either by a letter following the additional tests, or by face to face follow-up if we agree this would be most useful). This advice may include a referral to a physiotherapist or other specialist and/or a recommendation for an ultrasound guided injection. The fees for injection treatments are additional to the consultation fees.
To find out more about the breakdown of these pathways of care please click here.
Finally, although each condition is unique, most musculoskeletal conditions not requiring surgical treatment can be managed in the private sector for between £200-£1000 (subject to the overall pathway of care) so you should aim to budget for this. If your total pathway of care will be substantially above this then consider whether you are being offered both the best quality of care and the best value for your money.
Please feel free to contact us to discuss the types of care I provide and what costs may be associated with this.