Poplar Grove Policy Requests Following On From A Private Consultation

We are aware that given current NHS wait times, some of our patients are opting to see a private doctor. This statement clarifies Poplar Grove’s position on private consultations.

Patients who choose to be seen privately should be expected to pay the full cost of any treatment they receive in relation to the ‘episode of care. This includes consultation fees, medications prescribed, and treatment provided during the private consultation. This also includes any associated diagnostic  investigations and tests like ECGs and Blood tests.

Patients seen privately should have any medication or treatment intervention provided privately as part of that episode of care. The private Clinician recommending a medicine should provide you with a private prescription.

In certain situations, we may be able to prescribe some medications recommended privately via the NHS. However, to do so we need to know the indications for each drug and any relevant results. Therefore, it is the patient’s responsibility to provide us with a detailed clinic letter from their private specialist who is recommending these medications. We are not able to prescribe without a clinic letter. Please be aware that private prescription requests submitted without a full clinic letter will be automatically rejected. If the medications are needed urgently and prior to a clinic letter being available, they will need to be obtained privately.

On receipt of a clinic letter, and if we can prescribe routinely under the NHS, please allow up to 28 days for this to be processed. Therefore, it is essential your Private Consultant provides you with an adequate supply of medication. If you are unsure about the urgency with which the medication is required, please liaise with your private specialist- again we cannot advise on whether medications are urgent until we have a full clinic letter detailing why they are required and the indication.