Considering Surgery Abroad? (Read this first!)

If you choose to have private surgery outside of the NHS and the UK (i.e. you are not referred by an NHS organisation) it is highly likely that the NHS (including your GP surgery) will NOT be able to carry out any related follow-up testing, monitoring or complication management (other than emergency care) once you are back in the UK. It is the individual responsibility to ensure that appropriate non-NHS follow up care is in place for your return to the UK.

It is not the responsibility of a general practice to provide follow-up to private surgery which has been carried out abroad. The NHS does not fund the follow-up to private surgery abroad and therefore GP Practices are not funded to provide this follow up care.

NHS clinicians would not have the backup or support from the surgeon or specialists as they do under an NHS referral and this after care would be outside of the expertise of a general practitioner. The GMC ‘Good Medical Practice’ states that GPs should remain within the limits of their competence.

Additionally, the medical insurance provider MDU states that a UK based GP would leave themselves open to criticism by relying on advice from a specialist based overseas. Overseas providers are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as Doctors in the UK, work to different guidelines and there also might be language barriers which make shared care inappropriate and unsafe.

We would strongly recommend you discuss your decision with your GP before committing to a package of care abroad.  

Some useful information may be found here:

Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System Advice
https://improvinglivesnw.org.uk/our-work/healthier-communities/information-for-patients-considering-privately-funded-treatment-abroad/

Going Abroad for Treatment (NHS link)
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/going-abroad-for-treatment/going-abroad-for-medical-treatment/

Treatment Abroad Checklist (NHS link)
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/going-abroad-for-treatment/treatment-abroad-checklist/

Going abroad for medical treatment (NHS link)
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/going-abroad-for-treatment/going-abroad-for-medical-treatment/

UPWELL HEALTH CENTRE POLICY ON PRIVATE PRESCRIPTIONS

We are aware that given current NHS waiting times, some of our patients opt to see a private doctor, this statement clarifies our position on prescriptions and shared care.

If you are seen privately by a doctor for a single episode of care any short-term medication required should be paid for by the patient as part of the package of care e.g. pain killers, antibiotics, and should be prescribed by the private provider.

A private consultation may identify a longer term condition which needs medication. If you ask us to take over the prescribing of the medication recommended by a private doctor, we will need to be satisfied that prescribing is appropriate, responsible and what we would prescribe for another NHS patient with the same diagnosis. Whenever we prescribe medicine for you we are taking full responsibility for your care, even if the medicine is recommended for you by another doctor.

Therefore we will not prescribe medication in the following circumstances:

• We have not received adequate communication from the private doctor to explain the reasons you need the medication and that they have discussed the safety of the medication.
• The medication is not prescribed on the NHS
• The medication is only suitable for specialist-only prescription and we do not have the specialist expertise to safely monitor the medication.
• The use of the medication is not compatible with national or local prescribing guidelines.
• The medication is not licenced in the UK for your condition.
• We don believe the medication is appropriate or necessary for you.
• You are seen by a private GP without a GP referral (ie we can’t be sure the doctor is fully aware of your medical history)
• We will not be able to facilitate applications to local commissioning boards with regards to funding for any medications prescribed privately. Your private practitioner should facilitate this.

Please note the same rules apply for another NHS doctor asking GPs to take over prescribing of medication.

We will not consider taking on Shared Care prescribing with a non-NHS provider unless the following conditions are met:

• The prescribing is in line with GMCs Good Medical Practice guidance
• The private provider is based in the UK
• The shared care provider is acting under an NHS contract
• Norfolk & Waveney ICB has commissioned GP to provide this service as an additional service and we have agreed to take on this service
• Written evidence that the provider indemnifies Upwell Health Centre for any prescribing issues that may come to light in perpetuity and provides written evidence of this.

f the above conditions are met, then the surgery will review the information before reaching a decision on taking on the Shared Care & prescribing.

The above are essential safeguards for our prescribing clinicians. The GMC advises us in “Duties of a Doctor” to prescribe in the best interest of the patient and only within our level of competence.

It is important to consider all potential costs when accessing private healthcare and this includes medication costs.

UPWELL HEALTH CENTRE