Waiting for NHS Treatment
This page explains the options available to you, including staying on your NHS waiting list, which is the right choice for many people.
If your symptoms change while you wait
If your symptoms get worse, contact your GP or the hospital team looking after you, as your treatment may need to be brought forward. If you have chest pain at rest, severe breathlessness or you collapse, call 999.
What options are open to you?
- Ask about your expected wait. The hospital that referred you can tell you where you are on the list.
- Moving to another provider. If you have been waiting a long time, you may be able to ask to be considered for treatment at another hospital. Your hospital or GP can tell you whether this applies to you.
- Paying for your own care (self-funding). Some people choose to pay for
their assessment or treatment privately. If you are thinking about this:
- You do not lose your NHS entitlement. You can pay for one part of your care and continue to receive the rest of your care on the NHS. The two must be kept separate, and you cannot have the same treatment privately and on the NHS at the same time.
- If you have a private consultation and then decide on NHS treatment, you join the NHS waiting list on the same basis as any other NHS patient.
- Ask for a written quote before you commit. Many hospitals offer a fixed-price package for procedures. Check what it includes, such as the consultation, tests, the procedure, the hospital stay and follow-up, and what happens if extra care is needed.
- Medication afterwards may be prescribed by your GP, but this is at their discretion, so it is worth asking.
What happens next
If you would like to discuss self-funded care with Dr Dawkins, the first step is a consultation. This can be arranged as a telephone or video consultation in the first instance if you prefer. He will review your history and tests, explain the options, including continuing on the NHS, and give you time to decide. There is no obligation to go ahead with treatment privately after a consultation.
To arrange a consultation, see Book an appointment.