5 Reasons to see a doctor privately.
Jack of all trades or master of one?
General practitioners or GPs are very competent general doctors and are tasked with treating common medical conditions; however, they don’t have the specialist training and experience of specialist physicians. Some conditions such as underactive thyroid, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are commonly treated by GPs but that doesn’t mean they might not be better treated by specialist hormone doctors such as myself.
Time
Often people feel that they have been rushed in and out of the consultation room without sufficient time to discuss their symptoms or treatment options. Private appointments allow more time to discuss your symptoms, the diagnosis and treatment options.
Seeing the same doctor
Patients who have a condition which needs ongoing care normally benefit from seeing the same doctor. If you have a chronic condition such as diabetes seeing the same doctor is reassuring. They know your history, what has been tried before, what worked, what didn’t.
Convenience
In the NHS you are given an appointment. Your schedule is completely disregarded. It might be you have a big meeting at work or maybe you are on holiday. Suddenly you can’t see the doctor and your treatment and health is compromised. Private appointments can be scheduled to your convenience and can be performed face to face, by telephone or by video call depending on your preference.
Waiting
Treatment in the NHS normally involves waiting. If you are referred to a specialist by your GP in the NHS there is often several months of waiting before you see the specialist. This is time when you are not feeling well and you are not being diagnosed or treated. Private appointments can generally be scheduled within a week or two so that you can feel better, faster.