Questions & Answers about Private Care

Questions and Answers about Private Care

Private healthcare is becoming an increasingly popular choice for patients looking to avoid long waiting times. Booking treatment privately, whether you are paying for yourself or through private medical insurance, gives you total flexibility in choosing care that’s right for you. That includes choosing the consultant and appointment time that suits you.

Below are some commonly asked Questions and Answers about accessing private treatment at the Dorset Heart Clinic:-

When you decide you’d like to book your treatment privately, you have two main options. You can either pay for your own treatment (known as ‘self-pay’) or book through any private medical insurance (known as ‘PMI’) policy you have.

Both give you lots of choice and flexibility in choosing what’s right for you. If you’re paying for yourself, all costs are settled between you, the consultant and the Dorset Heart Clinic. Finance is available over 36, 48 or 60 months, subject to status, all with the option to settle interest free within the first 12 months if you choose. Please contact us for more information if you would like us to assist you with finance.

If you’re using private medical insurance, your insurer will need to approve each part of your treatment at different stages. For instance, you may need to seek approval before your consultation and then before any onward treatment is confirmed. Don’t worry though, we will talk you through what you need to do and our patient support team are here to help if you have any questions.

If you are wondering why thousands of patients are opting to get private treatment?

Here are five key reasons:

  • No waiting lists – not having to wait is one of the key reasons why patients choose to go private. The Dorset Heart Clinic is no different – we don’t have waiting lists for private patients so you’ll be immediately booked in to an appointment time that suits you.
  • Choosing your heart clinic – there has never been so much choice as to where you can get treated. Read more about our other heart clinics in Cambridge and Plymouth.
  • Choice of consultant – private healthcare enables you to see a specialist consultant straight away, however long you’ve had symptoms for. So whether you’re looking to have an echocardiogram, see a cardiologist about heart disease in your family or if you’d like expert advice on managing a cardiac arrythmia, we have specialists who can help. Going private means you can choose which consultant you would like to see, based on their experience or perhaps through a recommendation from a friend. Read more about our consultants here.
  • Flexible appointments – flexibility is another key benefit of private healthcare. When you book privately, you can choose the timeslot on a day that suits you.
  • Fast onward referral – if you need to be referred on to see another specialist, it’s a quick and easy process with private healthcare. Our consultants are able to refer on to another specialist if they’re best placed to provide treatment, or quickly book you in for further tests and scans if needed.
We provide a pioneering service model of care for cardiac disease under one roof for all our private patients. We call this our ‘one-stop-shop’ model of care as it means a consultant can provide a consultation with medical examination → refer a patient for relevant investigations → review the results of the investigations and form a diagnosis → formulate a care plan ranging from one of more of the following → book the patient for a cath lab procedure/begin or alter medication/request further investigations.
This can all happen on one visit.

Here are some key reasons for why you should choose Peninsula Heart Clinic for your private treatment:

  • 99% of patients would recommend us
    We really value all patient feedback as it helps us to continually improve our services. According to data published on the Private Healthcare Information Network, 99% of patients at each of our heart clinics said they would recommend us to family and friends.
  • At the forefront of innovation
    We have been developing innovative cardiology joint ventures with the NHS since 2002. We opened our first cardiology private patient unit at the world famous Addenbrooke’s hospital in 2008. This is a formal partnership with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Cambridge Heart Clinic was awarded the independent sectors highest award (by Laing & Buisson) for healthcare entrepreneurship in 2011. We opened Europe’s first ever modular cardiac electrophysiology cath lab service in 2005 at Oxford University Hospitals. This enabled the Trust to significantly quicken diagnoses for patients with atrial fibrillation.

    Since 2002, the company and its directors have won numerous industry awards for innovation and service excellence.By making investments in cardiac equipment, technology and staffing we have stayed ahead of changes within our fast-moving industry, and we believe transformed the lives of thousands of patients with heart conditions.

  • Our specialist cardiac experience
    Our heart clinics are designed to feel different. We know a hospital visit can be daunting, so we have created a modern hospital experience which feels more like you’re stepping into a high quality hotel.
  • Top cardiologists
    We only work with top NHS cardiologists and so you can be assured of being treated by some of the very best heart experts in the UK..
  • Consistent ratings
    Our heart clinics are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which ensures the highest standards of care are given across all our facilities.
Our close partnership with Royal Bournemouth & Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and location within the Royal Bournemouth Hospital means we have excellent access to a comprehensive range of clinical and hospital support services. We use the same governance and accountability procedures and standards as the NHS, so patients can rest assured that they will be looked after.

Our care continues after a cath lab procedure. Within 24 hours after a procedure we contact a patient to ensure they are making a good recovery. We also inform their GP, letting them know their patient has received their treatment and has been discharged.

All our heart clinics employ rigorous cleaning schedules and practice strict infection prevention and control processes – this keeps our patients safe and ensures our infection rates are extremely low or zero. Please see our latest infection control audit scores here.

If you are using private medical insurance, you will usually need a GP referral first. If you are paying for your own treatment this is not always needed, but most consultants prefer to see one prior to your consultation. This is so they can get a full overview of the issue to offer expert help and advice in your private appointment.

If you get a GP referral in advance, it will be quick and easy to book you in to see a specialist. If you don’t have a referral yet, or aren’t sure what you’ll need, get in touch with us and we will help.

When you see your GP, make sure you let them know you’re planning to pay for yourself or use an insurance policy. You can also specify which Regent’s Park heart clinic you would like to visit and the particular consultant you want to see. Don’t worry if you’re not sure about a consultant, we can tell you what the next available appointment slots are. Your GP can then include all this information on your referral letter and send it across to us.

If you’re paying for your own treatment, we offer you the reassurance of having a fixed-price quotation for your treatment. Finance is available over 36, 48 or 60 months, subject to status, all with the option to settle interest free within the first 12 months if you choose. Please contact us to find out more.

Wondering how much investigations and procedures cost? Here are our self-funded prices.

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