Anyone gone private for a diagnosis?

[hexagon]

I’m considering going private for a diagnosis of tourettes. As I’m not sure I can last long enough to make the nhs waiting times.

I’m also gonna phone the gp on Monday and explain see if it can go any quicker.

I’m just how much people paid for an initial consultation and whether it was worth it and any experiences, particularly in the neurology area.

Thanks,

[disneywiseowl]

Sorry, I haven’t had any neurological issues so can’t comment on that but I have had a few consultations for various medical conditions & the price has varied from £150:£250.
Unfortunately, it’s the ensuing tests/scans etc that are very expensive.
But considering what you’re going through, maybe it’s worth having the initial consultation for any advice you’ll get & you might feel better just for taking some action?
Hopefully, someone with more relevant advice will respond to your post, later.

Hope you feel better soon. X

[PoohBears#1fan]

I agree, you’ll pay £150-200 for an initial consultation but they may not diagnose at it, they’ll recommend whichever investigations they feel appropriate & they’ll all carry a cost.

I’ve no experience in this field so have no idea what investigations would be likely.

[HenrysDad]

We did for our Son with suspected Ulcerative Colitis and a 6-8 week wait for an 'emergency' NHS appointment with the recommended consultant (this was at 5pm on a Friday).

Hospital consultant gave us his number / e-mail to consider a private consultation consultation and saw consultant at 8.30 on the Monday privately

He recommended investigative tests, but said I can get you on the NHS list and the time difference between that and going private will be negligible as they would need a paediatric anaesthetist, so he got the test and then ongoing treatments etc back on the NHS, definitely worth considering IMO.

[moggitymog]

My partner had a consultation with a psychiatrist for a diagnosis of ADHD.
He researched them on the internet then made contact. The assessment was done via video-link. I think the assessment was £350. He was diagnosed at the first session and prescribed medication. The prescriptions were obtained from Morrisons pharmacy as they were the cheapest at £25 on a private prescription. Now he is settled on the dose of medication our GP now prescribes at the standard NHS prescription rate. He will need annual review with the initial consultant and this will cost about £125 per year. Money well spent. Hope you get sorted xx

[Feebee2]

Our GP agreed with our decision to go private. She told us to research the neurologists on the Spire private hospitals websites.
You got a good idea of each neurologists specialist fields.
We phoned to make an appointment, we got one for about 10 days time then the GP had to write a referral letter.
I too was worried about extra tests but our consultant admitted DH into hospital for about 2 weeks were he had every test going.
He laughed when I asked if we'd have to pay for it!

[paw]

I’ve seen a private eye surgeon for the last 20 odd years. I can’t cope with the attitude of some of the nhs ones as I have eye phobia, my lovely surgeon takes that into account and Im not on a conveyor belt going from room to room, he does everything.

I pay less now than I originally did, mainly because the opticians can do some of the tests at a lower cost and email them across. They work closely together, usually so I’m seen by someone every six months but that has gone by the board with lockdown!

I have needed operations twice and both times my GP was requested to refer me to the surgeons NHS list and I opted for NHS treatment at the private hospital.

My prescriptions are sent by letter to the GP - only way they will accept them is on private hospital headed paper - but once on my record they are NHS.

[Taffy1959]

I had a private consultation which cost £175 after struggling with knee pain for a few years.
GP refused to refer me until I lost patience and insisted then found out it was a 9 month wait for an orthopaedic appointment.
I asked to be referred privately and waited 2 weeks then was put on the NHS waiting list.
I had my operation before I would have been seen by an NHS consultant.

[Lau-nicole]

I was referred on the nhs to see a neurologist late last year for chronic migraines. In my experience it took a lot of pushing on my end but as it was concerning me I made a point of wanting see a specialist and they referred me after several appointments and blood tests.

It was around a 12 week wait and then another 3 week wait for a MRI - this was pre covid.

I was at the point of considering a private appointment when I received my referral but as someone has already said I was also aware that any tests I would need following the initial consultation would be very expensive so I held out.

Maybe it’s worth having the private appointment for some advice/reassurance if you’re not getting anywhere with your GP?

Hope you get this sorted x

[EssexSue]

We paid for our granddaughter to see a pediatrician, I think it was £125 but that was five years ago. It saved her sight and possibly her life.