which private hospital????

homealone_2

HELLO EVERYONE

i am only 3 months into an at least 8 month waiting list for a discogram. my hospital does not have a radiologist qualified enough to carry it out on the premises and so i had to be farmed out, this is another reason for the long wait. my surgeon has said that once the discogram is done he will prioritise my operation. so, this had led to my decision to go private, dilema is where.?????? obvioulsy i want the best of care but have scoured net and can find nothing that will help me. i so far have had suggested the wellington hospital in london a nd a bupa hospital in herts. the bupa hospital says it involves an over night stay and the other one says it doesnt!!! are they trying to make more money or do they genuinely feel i will need to be monitored overnight. do any of you have any experience of going private, is there anywhere you recommend, or can you point me in the right direction on where to search on the internet for the best place to do the job. the prices so far are ranging from £1200 to £1600. CAN ANYONE HELP?

Claudie

I don't have any experience of a Discogram .... I am not even really sure what it is but I am guessing it is back related.

I believe that in most cases you will need a referral from a GP to go private. Perhaps you could ask your GP or Nurse who they would recommend then see if that Consultant does private work as well as NHS. I know where we are, quite a few do both.

I did have private surgery at a BMI Hospital a few years ago and have nothing but good to say about the whole experience. First I got on the web and looked up my condition....then I looked for surgeons who specialised in it....that narrowed it down somewhat. Luckily for me there was a great surgeon locally who worked at both the local NHS Hospital and the BMI Private hospital.

You can also try a Google search and see if there are any support groups or patient groups online. You may find that there are others out there in a silmilar position who can recommend one way or another.

Good Luck.

alison6692

Have you spoken to your consultants secretary? they may be able to help or find out where your consultant would recommend. Also did you know NHS hospitals do private work in an NHS hospital.

I did a search for the hospital I work at and it seems like they would do a discogram as a daycase. I work at southampton general hospital and we do private surgical work, and I would expect we do private radiological work too.

I would ring your consultants secretary and explain the situation and get advice about where to go from here.

Claudie

Sorry, in reading that back it probably didn't answer your question really! But what I meant was that I really trusted my Hospital from my initial visit.. I know they are a business at the end of the day but I felt really looked after from my first appointment until the time I was sent home.

You could ask what your payment includes...my fee included everything and was guaranteed against anything unexpected. I know surgery is somewhat different to a test but I was given an all inclusive figure from first consultation to follow up appointment and 24 hr telephone access for an after care Nurse for any questions. I had quite a bit of paperwork but everything was very clear.

When you do find the right place you should be able to speak to someone first who can answer all of your questions.

Good Luck.

homealone_2

thank you for your many replies, i will continue some research

love rosemary

alison6692

no probs. let us know how you get on.

homealone_2

i have decided to actually see my consultant who does it privarely and pay for the pleasure, wouldnt mind but need to pay £200 for a consultation, what i would like to know is what was it that we last had then when he decided i needed a discogram?????????

makes you sick!!!

Claudie

Oh that is a bit cheeky - I would have thought your GP could jusy refer you for the procedure! I guess you will have to just tell yourself it will be worth it when it is all done and over with.

Good Luck.