There is no single price for a private operation in the UK. Whether you need endometriosis surgery, a myomectomy (removal of fibroids), a hysterectomy or a hysteroscopy, once we have agreed which one you need, the price is fixed in writing before you decide. The figure depends on the operation, the hospital and how long you are likely to stay. What I can set out here is what goes into that price, what my own consultations cost, and what changes if you have health insurance.
The price is set once we know which operation you need
The first step is a consultation. My fees are £300 for a new consultation and £225 for a follow-up, and an appointment to go through your results is charged as a follow-up. Video and telephone consultations cost the same as seeing me in person, and there is no charge for cancelling or rearranging an appointment.
At Nuffield Health Parkside in Wimbledon and the CRP Clinic in Epsom I can scan you during the consultation, so that we can talk about what the scan shows at the same visit. The scan costs £200 on top of the consultation fee, so a new consultation with a scan comes to £500.
I recommend a scan in clinic only when it will help, and we agree it first. At Spire St Anthony’s and Ashtead Hospital, scans are arranged through the hospital and charged by the hospital, as are blood tests and MRI scans.
Only after the consultation, and any tests, can we decide together whether you need an operation at all. For some women no treatment is needed, or medicine is the better first step, and then there is no surgical bill.
If we agree to wait, I usually suggest a set point to look again, such as three months, then a scan if it will help; that appointment counts as a follow-up, and the scan is charged as above. Until we know which operation you need, any figure for surgery would be a guess, which is why I do not give operation prices on this website.
Helen organises your self-pay package
If you are paying for yourself, my practice manager, Helen, organises your package. Once we know which operation you need, she arranges a fixed price with the hospital. The package usually includes your hospital stay, the operating theatre, and the fees of the surgeon and the anaesthetist (the doctor who gives and monitors your anaesthetic). The price is confirmed in writing before you decide, as PHIN advises [1].
My robotic (da Vinci) operating lists run at Spire St Anthony’s in Sutton and at Parkside. Some hospitals offer ways to spread the cost; ask Helen.
If you would like an idea of the cost before you see me, ask Helen. A price given at that stage is a guide, not a final figure. It can change once I have assessed you and we know exactly what is planned [1].
You do not need a referral from your GP to see me as a self-pay patient, although a letter from your GP is always welcome.
Since the end of 2017, private consultants have been required to set out their consultation fees in writing before your first appointment, and to give an estimate of their fees before further tests or treatment [2]. The hospital’s quotation for the operation is the document to read closely.
Ask Helen what your package includes
Packages differ between hospitals. One may include your tests and follow-up appointments; another may charge for them separately [1]. My practice manager, Helen, can tell you what yours includes. Before you agree, ask her about the tests before the operation, the laboratory examination of tissue removed at surgery (histology), and follow-up appointments afterwards. Ask, too, what happens to the cost if you need to stay longer or need further treatment after a complication, and how long the price remains valid.
PHIN, the independent organisation that publishes information about private healthcare, gives the same advice. It notes that extra days in hospital after a complication may not be covered by the quoted price [1].
Insurance usually covers the operation, but check for a shortfall
If you have private medical insurance, your insurer usually covers the operation, the hospital stay and the fees for eligible treatment. Even so, every insured patient should check whether there will be anything left to pay (a shortfall). An excess (the amount you pay before your insurer pays), a limit on outpatient cover, or a fee above what your insurer pays can each leave part of the cost to you.
I am recognised by the major UK insurers, and the full list is on my fees and insurance page. If your insurer is not listed, my practice manager, Helen, will check for you. The CRP Clinic accepts Bupa and self-pay patients only.
I am Bupa fee-assured, which means my fees are covered in full by Bupa for eligible treatment, subject to your policy terms. Even then, check your excess and the anaesthetist’s fee. With other insurers, ask whether there is a limit on what they pay specialists, because a fee above that limit can leave a shortfall for you to pay [1]. If you are insured, the anaesthetist usually bills your insurer separately, so the same question applies to their fees.
Before your first appointment, check whether your insurer needs a letter from your GP, and obtain a pre-authorisation number (your insurer’s confirmation that it will pay for the appointment) to quote when you book. Ask about any excess and any limit on outpatient cover, because consultations and scans may count towards it.
The operation needs its own authorisation
If we agree that you need an operation, your insurer has to authorise it separately. Insurers describe operations by standard procedure codes, and my practice manager, Helen, will give you the codes that apply to you. Sometimes more than one code is needed, for example when a hysterectomy may be combined with removing endometriosis, so check that your authorisation covers everything we have planned.
Some policies also limit which hospitals you can use, so check this before a date is booked.
A second opinion follows the same steps
If you would like a second opinion before deciding on surgery, it is a new consultation and costs the same. If you are insured, the steps are the same too.
Questions about cost should never delay urgent care
If you are unsure what your policy covers, ask your insurer before you book. For anything about my fees, my practice manager, Helen, can help: call the practice on 020 8175 1333 or email Helen at pa@migynaecology.com.
Some problems should be seen promptly whatever your plans for private care. Bleeding after the menopause should be checked without delay. Very heavy bleeding that leaves you dizzy or breathless, or sudden severe pelvic pain, needs medical attention straight away through your GP or NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.
You can book an appointment online or through the practice.