Choosing the best Doctor and Consultant for you
According to NHS Choices: “If you need to go to hospital to see a specialist, you have the right to choose which hospital you're referred to by your GP. This legal right, which was introduced in April 2009, lets you choose from any hospital offering a suitable treatment that meets NHS standards and costs.”
The totalhealth website is entirely written by senior teaching hospital consultants. These consultants explain the latest treatment options that are available for your condition – in plain English, and this is therefore the information that is needed in order to make an informed choice. The vast majority of the doctors on this website are the most senior doctors within their departments at the top NHS teaching hospitals; they also see patients at private hospitals. The point is that the information provided here is not exclusive to private patients, and all patients have a “legal right” to be referred for the best care that is available. Links are available from the doctors to both their NHS and private practices. Once you feel that you have sufficient information on your condition and have seen the latest expert advice on treatment options, it should then be entirely down to the patient, with help from the GP, to decide where to go.
For example, there is a lot of excitement about some of the latest treatments available for cancerAbnormal, uncontrolled cell division resulting in a malignant tumour that may invade surrounding tissues or spread to distant parts of the body. such as CyberKnife® or Gamma Knife. Drs Ian Sabin and Chris Nutting describe this state-of-the-art, non-drug approach in their articles. Both these consultants are available via their NHS hospitals including The Royal Marsden and Barts, and also via The Harley Street Clinic or The Wellington Hospital.
Equally, the UK’s acknowledged leading orthopaedic surgeons such as Mr Khai Lam (back surgeon) or Mr Richard Sinnerton (shoulder surgeon) are happy to see patients either through their NHS departments, or via their private hospitals. Again, the choice is entirely down to the patient either via the GP and the NHS ‘Chose and Book’ system, or as a self-referral.
