Does anyone know if private doctors are seeing patients face to face during Corvid 19?

[10gingercats]

May need to see a doc. and i hear nhs waiting list is very patchy right now.Are private docs. seeing patients face to face now?

[bantam12]

Some are some aren't, one private consultant I see has been doing face to face since April although I was only offered a telephone appt. The private section of my local hospital is still closed so no docs doing private appts.

[BobD Volunteer]

Just had notification of a "virtual appointment" with my EP in October which for a ludite like me sounds fun.

[Slim2018]

I have seen mine face to face at The Global Clinic here in Norwich

[Angie06]

I've also seen a consultant face to face (or should I say mask to mask!) back in Aug for a minor op. He was seeing quite a few so I guess they probably weigh up the reason for the visit.

[Peony4575]

Local to me they are seeing face to face at the Spire Hospitals as normal but much more limited at Nuffield hospitals. A lot of capacity has still been purchased by nhs

[Mrsvemb in reply to Peony4575]

It is the same here. My local Nuffield wouldn’t book my mammogram and ultrasound, said they could only book NHS patients. So private cancer patients don’t matter to them because they are being very well paid by the NHS. Very annoying.

I did manage to get them done, but 5 months late. For some people that could be the difference between life and death.

[Daisy2908]

I only saw my private cardiologist by phone during lockdown earlier this year but have been able to have face to face appointments since June. Lots of safety precautions in place at the hospital before you enter e.g. masks, temperature checks etc.

[Mrsvemb]

I have had 2 recent private referrals, both of which have been telephone appointments. Annoying thing is they still charge the same. I don’t think telephone is good when you haven’t previously met a doctor.

Having known my cardiologist for more than 10 years, I was happy to have a telephone consultation with him.

My oncologist uses zoom, which is fine with me.

So I guess what I am saying is that I am happy with telephone with consultants that I know, but not with new consultants.

[10gingercats]

Thank you to everyone who has replied.It has been very helpful.

[wilsond]

Yes I rang Proff Osmans private sec.for a one off consultation . I got in the very next day ! Cost 100.00 as I had seen him before ( approx 2 yrs ago ) as private patient consultation . I'm on his nhs patient list too.

So worth asking gingercats?

[wilsond in reply to wilsond]

This was face to face in the BMI Meriden hospital in the grounds of UCHW ( Walsgrave Coventry)

[Magson]

I have just received a letter this week inviting me for a telephone discussion with the Cardiology Department at RUH Bath where I have had many appointments over 6 years. This after my last appointment in mid 2018. I am interested in two aspects-

Its is going to be my Cardiologist?

Do they know I had an ablation in late 2018 and am AF free? (For the time being). Not sure one hospital talks to another. I had my ablation in Bristol.

Let's see.

[Paulbounce]

The cynic in me says you'll get an appointment if you see your doctor privately and pay. The other option is by a 'telephone' apointment somewhere down the line,

Paul