Referral to specialist services
Following the outcome of your initial consultation, should the need arise;

1. We will aim to provide you with a range of options that will enable you to make an informed decision about who will provide your specialist healthcare service.
2. We will refer you on to the most appropriate specialist service for your condition.
3. 3.Provide good independent advice on which consultant to choose

Examples of specialist services include cardiology, endocrinology, urology, paediatrics, general surgery and cosmetic surgical services.

GP referrals – Your access to specialist services

Consultants generally will require a referral letter from a General Practitioner (GP) – PRIEST Medical, before they will agree to see patients. Consultants need to have access to information about your medical history and details of any medication you are taking. This is why we ensure that you are registered with PRIEST Medical and that your full medical history including your medication (“Medical Print”) is with us.

As PREIST Medical will be responsible for your ongoing care, your consultant also needs to keep PRIEST Medical informed as to the outcome of any consultations and plans for future management.

PRIEST Medical is also in a unique position to liaise directly with your doctor in your home country pre and post treatment. This may involve sharing notes and medical opinions with regards the best course of action for you wherever you may be – home or abroad in UK.

The referral process

PRIEST Medical will usually refer you on recommendation to our preferred choice of consultants but the alternative is for you to ask us to refer you to a particular consultant of your choice.

PRIEST Medical will write a referral letter to the consultant about your condition, general state of health and personal circumstances.

PRIEST Medical will then help make and coordinate an appointment with a consultant to meet your schedule even before you leave your home country.

Seeing the consultant

The specialist consultation will have the same basic aims as your PRIEST Medical consultation, focusing on medical history, examination, diagnosis, prognosis and pragmatic treatment options. Tests may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Hospital Treatment

Should you require further treatment your choice of hospital is likely to be largely led by the consultant to whom you have been referred to by PRIEST Medical.

It is important for you to realise that consultants have to apply for "practice privileges" with the hospitals where they work privately. This means that they have agreed professional links with certain hospitals and not with others.

The consultant will expect to choose the hospital at which you will have treatment, as this will be dependent on where the consultant has practice privileges.

It is important to understand that the consultant doctor who is in charge of your medical treatment is not employed by PRIEST Medical or the hospital but is an independent practitioner who is in effect a client of the hospital where he or she has practice privileges and using their facilities to pursue his or her private business.