Advice: Health Insurance Bill - Not Advised

S_AND_I

I'll post this in the consumer rights section too but here goes:

After successive health-related problems my wife decided to get a £150 consultation with a highly respected consultant in the field. We stomached the cost of that but not easy.

In that my wife was advised to have a particular blood screening (which was not among the raft the NHS had done), which she did. However, at no point was she advised that it was an additional cost, nor that the cost was £215. Naturally for a couple under a financial stress this is a massive blow. I have written to the consultant, explaining perhaps we were naive in thinking there would be no/low cost but we are also not happy at not being advised. I've asked for a concession on the bill.

But does anyone know where we should stand on this: i.e. what are our rights, the consultant's/private hosptial's rights etc?

iolanthe07

When you start to go down the private health path, fees and costs rapidly escalate. Private health care is for the rich or well insured. The consultant's secretary/PA should have advised you on further charges, though, and I think you have a good case to ask for time to pay.