Re: £15 admin charge on everything - is this normal for private thyroid doctors?

[Guest guest]

Gosh I Hope not!

Maybe you should let Sheila know thw name of this doctor so she can take him

off the list (if he's on it).

Problem with private docs is' you pays yer money and takes yer chance', this is

why it is a good reason to try to maintain a list of ones who have proven to be

ok. But if you don't let Sheila know she can't add to the list.

.

>

>

>

> Hi All,

>

>

> I wonder if someone could enlighten me:-

>

>

> I recently had my first consultation with a private thyroid doctor in London.

The cost was £125 for the meeting, but testing TSH,T$ and T3 brought it up to

over £200.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kitfire, Some do some don't- in the private world docs can charge whatever they think the traffic will tolerate- but these charges are more than I pay and I don't get charged extra for prescriptions. Can you please tell Sheila off forum the name of the doc so others can be alerted in advance of this practice.> thyroid treatment > From: kitfire@...> Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2011 15:41:29 +0000> Subject: £15 admin charge on everything - is this normal for private thyroid doctors?> > > > Hi All,> > > I wonder if someone could enlighten me:-> > > I recently had my first consultation with a private thyroid doctor in London. The cost was £125 for the meeting, but testing TSH,T$ and T3 brought it up to over £200.> > When I later asked if I could have a copy of the tests, I was told there would be a £15 surcharge for sending the tests out. This will mean every single prescription sent out will have a £15 charge slapped on it in addition to the actual cost of the medication.> > Is this charge normal in private thyroid practice?> > > > ------------------------------------> > TPA is not medically qualified. Consult with a qualified medical practitioner before changing medication.> >

[Guest guest]

Write to me privately with this doctors name kitfire sheila @

tpauk.com (remove the spaces). Doctors are NOT allowed to withhold information

from their patients whether they are private doctors or NHS and there are

certain fees that are recommended for accessing different information. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Managingyourorganisation/Informationpolicy/Patientconfidentialityandcaldicottguardians/DH_4084411

Access to medical reports is governed by The Access to Medical

Reports Act 1988. The British Medical Association has produced guidance

for doctors on the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 and you can see here The

Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 (opens new window)

The fees you are being charge do sound excessive if, indeed, you

are required to pay an excess of £15 for any prescriptions or results that are

sent to you. Did this doctor give you, in writing, a copy of what fees might be

involved? If you want to see the results of your blood tests in your medical

records, if a fee is charged, the maximum should be no more than £10.

Luv - sheila

Hi All,

I wonder if someone could enlighten me:-

I recently had my first consultation with a private thyroid doctor in London.

The cost was £125 for the meeting, but testing TSH,T$ and T3 brought it up to

over £200.

When I later asked if I could have a copy of the tests, I was told there would

be a £15 surcharge for sending the tests out. This will mean every single

prescription sent out will have a £15 charge slapped on it in addition to the

actual cost of the medication.

Is this charge normal in private thyroid practice?

[Guest guest]

I thought private doctors could charge what they liked.   Private doctors used to charge for writing a prescription.    However £125 for consultation is lower than a lot of private doctors and perhaps he makes up the money by charging for the extras.    A bit like Virgin Airlines.   They might be cheaper than other airlines but they then make up the money by charging for every single thing.

Lilian

The fees you are being charge do sound excessive if, indeed, you

are required to pay an excess of £15 for any prescriptions or results that are

sent to you. Did this doctor give you, in writing, a copy of what fees might be

involved? If you want to see the results of your blood tests in your medical

records, if a fee is charged, the maximum should be no more than £10.

Luv - sheila

 

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[Guest guest]

Mine definately still charge for writing the prescription and I just checked and

it is £15 for me too. I just thought this was normal practice as I've been

paying it for years.

>

> I thought private doctors could charge what they liked. Private doctors

> used to charge for writing a prescription.

Moderated to remove old messages**********************

[Guest guest]

I'd agree that £125 for a consultation - particularly an initial one which is

usually more expensive than the follow ups is cheap compared to what I have paid

in the past which has been anything between £180 and £450 for an initial

consultation and trust me anything under £200 was unusual and has only happened

about three times and I noticed usually only happened when I travelled up North

for consultations - the rest were in London and surrounding areas so to get that

price in London especially for a first consultation - I wish! I'd also say the

blood tests were cheap if they only brought your total up to £200 - I've paid

far more just for those tests alone when seeing private doctors or using private

testing centres. I've seen about 29 private doctors over the years so I'm

basing it on that.

I've always paid £15 just for the writing of each private prescription and still

am charged this but was under the impression that they couldn't charge if it was

for thyroid meds - altho I may have that wrong but specifically for thyroid meds

I don't seem to be getting charged for the writing of the prescription, whereas

I am for everything else. But if they can't charge for them maybe he is

ensuring he gets his £15 by adding this surcharge. I've also often been charged

for being sent copies of test results etc so personally my answer would be Yes

this is normal for private doctors whether thyroid or otherwise and your charges

are not expensive in my experience. One thing I do is ask for a copy of the

test results at my follow up appointment and get them to copy them there and

then - they seem to not charge for it then but I guess this varies.

Bunny

[Guest guest]

I don't understand why you would pay so much for thyroid

function testing when you can get these done much cheaper through Lab21 where

you pay TSH

£17 - Free

T3 £17 - Free

T4 £17 or Thyroid

Panel £48.

If a private doctor told me I needed such tests done, this is

what I would do. If a private doctor wanted to give me a prescription for T4 or

T3, costing £15, plus the cost of purchasing the medication via private

prescription, I would tell him I will purchase these myself as I just need him to

monitor my health and treatment. This would surely work out much cheaper to buy

it yourself from an Internet Pharmacy without the need for a prescription - but

perhaps I am living in dream land and the poor private specialist would soon go

out of business. I guess this is the reason Dr Peatfield has so many happy patients,

he doesn't rip them off. He charges £150 for an hour and a half consultation

and the patients buy the medications he recommends for them.

Luv - Sheila

I'd agree that £125 for a consultation -

particularly an initial one which is usually more expensive than the follow ups

is cheap compared to what I have paid in the past which has been anything

between £180 and £450 for an initial consultation and trust me anything under

£200 was unusual and has only happened about three times and I noticed usually

only happened when I travelled up North for consultations - the rest were in

London and surrounding areas so to get that price in London especially for a first

consultation - I wish! I'd also say the blood tests were cheap if they only

brought your total up to £200 - I've paid far more just for those tests alone

when seeing private doctors or using private testing centres. I've seen about

29 private doctors over the years so I'm basing it on that.

[Guest guest]

Can we order direct from Lab21 in the same way we do from Genova? I see they do

Ferritin and TIBC, but not UIBC & Transferrin, which I saw recommended on the

RT3 forum.

Anyine done any other iron tests in UK?

Ta

al