I am now on the wait list for the NHS Neuro initial appointment. I’ve spent 3 weeks on the wait list for the wait list. There’s no appointments available and a 20 week waiting time. I’m on a cancellation list. Can anyone explain what would happen if I paid for a private initial appointment? Could further tests be in the NHS. I’m currently shuffling about like an old lady. How much would I expect to pay, and would it just confuse things?
Hi,
Yes, you can have a private initial consultation, but further tests and investigations on the NHS, or any combination.
You could probably expect to pay beween two and three hundred pounds.
Most (all?) private neuros work in the NHS as well, so no, I don’t think it would confuse things. My private neuro simply referred me to himself on the NHS, when the time came to switch back.
The only difficulty I foresee is that you are unlikely to get any answers from an initial consultation, except to be referred for further tests. If you cannot afford to have the tests privately too (and they ARE expensive - mine were luckily covered by insurance), you will just be bounced straight back to the NHS and join another queue - this time for MRI or whatever.
I suppose it would at least mean you joined the MRI queue up to 20 weeks earlier than otherwise, which should be some advantage, but you’d still be in an NHS queue waiting for answers - just a different one.
Tina
Hello, Are you able to travel? you can choose to go to any hospital on the NHS. I searched around for a good neuro and asked my GP to refer to a different hospital.
My local hosptal wait time was at least 16 weeks, got seen in about 6 weeks elsewhere.
I hope this information is helpful, the waiting is very hard.
Hello, Are you able to travel? you can choose to go to any hospital on the NHS. I searched around for a good neuro and asked my GP to refer to a different hospital.
My local hosptal wait time was at least 16 weeks, got seen in about 6 weeks elsewhere.
I hope this information is helpful, the waiting is very hard.