Unfair Cancellation Fees - Private Consultant

olgadapolga

Of no help to the OP,  just an anecdote ...

I once knew a nurse who had a PhD. She used to tell new doctors to her ward that called her "nurse" that she was a doctor, she'd earned her title and that they should refer to her by that title!

PterionPterion

olgadapolga said:

Of no help to the OP,  just an anecdote ...

I once knew a nurse who had a PhD. She used to tell new doctors to her ward that called her "nurse" that she was a doctor, she'd earned her title and that they should refer to her by that title!

Haha not uncommon 

aminchom

The legally protected term is registered medical practitioner. The term doctor is not. It is a criminal offence (1980 medical registration act I think) to pass oneself off as one. In the US for example the basic medical degree is MD (they all have doctorates), but as above, my degree is MBChB (bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery (chirurgery)) with further qualification after.

Greylocks

It may be the consultant not only has lost out on the £160 but has incurred rental expenses for the allotted time period. Depending on location hourly clinical rental fees can be quite high.

Undervalued

Greylocks said:

It may be the consultant not only has lost out on the £160 but has incurred rental expenses for the allotted time period. Depending on location hourly clinical rental fees can be quite high.

Given that this particular consultation was to have been via Zoom that seems unlikely.

Plus we have not really established what kind of "consultant" this was. If he was a consultant level physician or surgeon then the price seems low. Certainly round here c. £240 is about the going rate.

However I think the OP mentioned that this was a Physiotherapist? If so the rate of £160 seems high. Again round here, depending on their level about half that would be normal, certainly in the £50 to £100 range.

Pollycat

Undervalued said:

Greylocks said:

It may be the consultant not only has lost out on the £160 but has incurred rental expenses for the allotted time period. Depending on location hourly clinical rental fees can be quite high.

Given that this particular consultation was to have been via Zoom that seems unlikely.

Plus we have not really established what kind of "consultant" this was. If he was a consultant level physician or surgeon then the price seems low. Certainly round here c. £240 is about the going rate.

However I think the OP mentioned that this was a Physiotherapist? If so the rate of £160 seems high. Again round here, depending on their level about half that would be normal, certainly in the £50 to £100 range.

Psychotherapist.

Nm207 said:

Since this had previously happened to my consultant as well, I honestly did not think that she would charge me, otherwise I would have dialed (phoned) into the zoom call and let her potentially end the session as it would not be an effective communication method (The consultant is a psychotherapist).

olgadapolga

Interesting that the £160 cancellation fee matches the figure quoted by the NHS as the cost to them for a missed appointment. I have no doubt that the NHS has higher overheads, etc., than the psychotherapist.

Ibrahim5

The last thread I was on he called himself a consultant psychologist and a "doctor in the NHS". Sounds like a whole group of people pretending to be at the same level as a consultant physician or surgeon. Charging the same to help the deception.

PterionPterion

They're only charging what people are willing to pay. 

wannabe_a_saver

PterionPterion said:

olgadapolga said:

Of no help to the OP,  just an anecdote ...

I once knew a nurse who had a PhD. She used to tell new doctors to her ward that called her "nurse" that she was a doctor, she'd earned her title and that they should refer to her by that title!

Haha not uncommon 

Which bit?  Nurses with PhDs using the title inappropriately or doctors calling their colleagues 'nurse' rather than by name?  I've been in the NH 10 years and never seen the former, and thankfully the latter is rare.