Information for those considering surgery with The Private Clinic
Welcome to The Private Clinic.
Established in 1983, The Private Clinic of Harley Street is a multi-award-winning medical group with clinics located across the UK. We have over 40 years of experience in offering the best in advanced and expert led surgical procedures in our clinics and hospitals. Our doctors and surgeons all specialise within their given field and are amongst the best and most experienced. We successfully treat over 2,500 patients a year and patients can rest assured they are given the right advice and most appropriate treatment and care.
Our ultimate goal is patient satisfaction, and we strive to achieve this by providing a service of consistently good quality, in line with both professional and ethical standards and national guidelines.
Our boutique hospital, with its two operating suites and overnight facility, is situated in Fitzrovia, London. We have several clinics situated throughout the UK offering surgical consultations and surgeries under local anaesthetic.
We hope that this leaflet provides you with the general information required to support and prepare you in beginning your surgical journey with us.
An assigned Patient Co-Ordinator
At The Private Clinic of Harley Street, each patient is assigned a Patient Coordinator. Your Patient Coordinator is not a clinician, instead they are there to support you through your journey with us. Your Coordinator will provide information regarding our services and treatments, explain the fee structure and options available, and liaise with you regarding bookings, as appropriate. They are there to answer any questions or queries you may have. Whilst they will answer your questions as fully as their experience and training allows, you must remember that only the surgeon is qualified to give clinical advice about the surgery you are seeking.
Your Specialist Surgeon
All doctors working with The Private Clinic of Harley Street are either directly employed by us or granted Practicing Privileges via our Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) and carry their own professional indemnity insurance. This information, including the details of their registration with the General Medical Council, can be found on their individual profile on our website. You can also discover the range of procedures they perform on behalf of The Private Clinic and their experience in those procedures.
At your consultation
Your surgeon or doctor will assess your suitability for surgery and explain the possible options for surgery, limitations and any potential risks and complications associated with the treatment you are seeking. Cosmetic surgery can satisfy many needs and often provides that extra measure of confidence or self-esteem a patient is seeking, and which may otherwise be difficult to achieve. Patients must understand the limitations and view cosmetic surgery realistically. Under these circumstances, a patient’s objectives can most often be achieved. To get the most from the surgery you are seeking it is vital that you discuss your requirements honestly with the surgeon, so that they may agree your expectations are reasonable and within the normal limitations of surgery.
The consultation with your surgeon is designed to ensure that you have the time to discuss all aspects of the surgery you are considering and other options or concerns as appropriate. In order to achieve this aim, you should expect your surgeon to discuss:
• All aspects of your medical and family history in detail and request preoperative tests relevant for the surgery you are seeking.
• Ascertain your expectations and then discuss realistically what can actually be achieved by treatment.
• Perform a physical examination, noting anatomy and characteristics.
• Discuss treatment options and recommend surgery most suited to your needs.
• Explain the potential complications and risks associated specifically with your surgery.
• Advise on all aspects of care pre and post- operatively.
Following this discussion and examination, the surgeon may decide it is not in your best medical interest to proceed with surgery.
If for any reason the surgeon’s discussion and clinical consultation with you falls short of your expectations, your patient coordinator will be happy to arrange for you to meet with another surgeon for a further opinion.
Your surgeon will discuss the main potential risks of surgery associated with you during your consultation.
Patient Medical History
It is important that you provide your doctor or surgeon with accurate information detailing every aspect of your past medical history, including illnesses, operations, drugs – including recreational, allergies and any significant family history of disease. Your personal safety is paramount in your doctor’s mind. If you withhold any relevant information, then you are potentially placing your own wellbeing at risk.
GP Information
Your GP is responsible for your day-to-day healthcare and as part of understanding your medical history. The Private Clinic of Harley Street strongly recommends that you keep your GP advised if you are going to proceed with a cosmetic surgical procedure. However, we are obliged to point out that you have every right to keep the matter private if you wish to do so and we will seek your consent to contact your GP for supporting background information about your health status. In certain circumstances, it may be necessary, prior to surgery, for a member of the medical team to contact your GP and/or any other relevant specialist that you may have seen previously. This is entirely for your own medical safety. Your surgeon will complete the necessary paperwork to request relevant information from your GP or specialist once you have consented for us to do so.
Consideration
After agreeing a treatment plan with your surgeon, should you wish to proceed with surgery a suitable date for your operation will be arranged with your patient coordinator. Think carefully, considering the following:
Time required off work. It’s usually recommended to take 10 to 14 days, depending upon the nature of your employment. Please note that some occupations will require a longer period of recovery, for example those which are physically demanding (eg manual working), and if you are unable to cease work for the required period of recovery you should defer your surgery to a more suitable time. This also applies to patients who have similar strenuous hobbies (e.g. riding, gym activities). If you do experience a complication the period to refrain from such activities will be extended until you have recovered. Please note lack of compliance could lead to the readmission policy being voided.
Travel arrangements. On no account can you drive or travel home alone. Failure to arrange transport home, by a nominated responsible adult, may result in the operation being postponed and charges linked to a late cancellation being applied.
Childcare. If you have young children, you may need help from family or friends. For example, lifting children following surgery can be painful at first and should be avoided.
Fees. A deposit will need to be made at the time of booking and the remaining balance will be collected ahead of the surgery date, in line with The Private Clinic of Harley Street’s payment terms and conditions.
Flying before and after surgery: It is advised that you are able to fly short haul 2 weeks following the procedure and you can fly long haul 6 weeks post-operative. Please always check with the clinical team. Please use the TED stockings or compression flight socks if you are flying recently after your operation and especially if it is a long flight (more than 3 hours).
Surgical results. You are more likely to be happy with the results of cosmetic surgery if you have clear, realistic expectations and a clear understanding of why you want to have surgery.
Risks and complications. While technology and surgical expertise make complications a rarity, it’s best to be prepared. Speak with your surgeon to ensure you are fully aware of associated side effects, risks and complications.
Pre-operative Screening
Your Patient Coordinator will arrange for you to attend for your pre-operative screening with a member of the clinical team at your local clinic.
In the interests of patient safety all our patients are assessed against our patient selection criteria. Following your consultation and review of your past medical history, your doctor or pre-operative practitioner will confirm the pre- operative tests considered to be appropriate which may include blood tests, ECG, x-rays, scans, or further anaesthetic and/or psychological assessment to ensure you are fully prepared for surgery. Some tests will be included in your inclusive fee package, whilst others may incur additional fees and your Patient Coordinator (or pre-operative practitioner) will advise you of any such fees that you will be required to fund.
For some patients the collation and review of all the required information can take longer than expected and it may be necessary to postpone or cancel planned surgery. We will always try to give as much notice as possible, but your surgery may be cancelled for medical reasons at any point in the pathway, up to and including the day of surgery.
MRSA Screening
Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA) is an antibiotic resistant bacterium that lives harmlessly on the skin of around 1 in 30 people. If it gets in the body, it can contaminate a wound and cause delayed healing.
At The Private Clinic we have an extremely low rate of post-surgical infections and screen for high-risk patients as part of the pre-operative assessment. If you are having any form of implant or have been an in-patient anywhere in last 12 months or have an on-going open wounds or chronic skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, you will be tested for MRSA. This usually involves wiping swabs (similar to cotton buds) on the inside of your nostril. the back of your mouth and your groin. The swabs are then sent for testing. If the result shows you have MRSA on your skin, you’ll be provided with a simple decontamination regime including antibacterial cream and shampoo to be used for 3 to 5 days before and including the day of surgery.
Photographs
It is The Private Clinic’s policy that all patients have pre- operative photographs. Photos will be taken by the Clinical team during the pre-operative or admission phase of your patient journey. We have the right to withdraw surgery to patients who decline to have such photographs taken.
Rest assured that such photographs will remain part of your confidential medical record. The Private Clinic of Harley Street are registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) to retain and store such patient information. Please note that your doctor or surgeon may also take pre-operative photographs for their own records.
Day of Surgery
Most of our surgery at The Private Clinic does not require an overnight stay and is performed on a day case basis. This means you will return home (or a nearby hotel) on the same day as your surgery. Surgeries are carried out at our hospital in Fitzrovia, third-party hospitals in the North of England and within our designated procedure rooms at our clinics nationwide, depending on the surgery chosen.
Post-operative care
A comprehensive post-operative care service is provided for you as part of your aftercare package. Please follow the post-operative instructions given to you by our medical team very carefully. We provide an ‘Out of Hours – on call service’ should you have any concerns post-operatively.
A member of our nursing team will call you the day following surgery, to check how you are, discuss the post-operative instructions once more and answer any questions you may have.
It is essential to your recovery following surgery that you attend the scheduled post-operative appointments with both the outpatient team/clinic team and your Surgeon. The number of post-operative appointments will be determined by your own recovery, and should you experience a complication we may need to see you more regularly in clinic or we may need you to re-visit the hospital.
Patient Outcomes and Experience
Your feedback is important to us; we will use it to celebrate what we are doing well, share learning, replicate successful initiatives where appropriate and make improvements where you think we could do better. Feedback will be requested at the point of discharge, and a QR code provided should you prefer to complete this at home.
As an Independent Provider of surgery, The Private Clinic are legally bound to provide surgical outcome data from the patient’s perspective, for publication on the Private Healthcare Information Network; an independent, government-mandated organisation that publish performance and fees information. We engage a third-party provider; Picker HWA to collect the data on our behalf and we will request your participation in our patient outcome surveys pre-operatively and again at six months following your surgery. Results of the surveys not only help us to gain an overall understanding of the success of your surgery but help to influence improvements in our clinical practices and service delivery and enable us to provide honest and transparent information to prospective patients considering surgery.
CQC
Our regulators, the Care Quality Commission are keen to receive feedback directly from patients regarding their experience too, albeit good or bad, in order to better understand the quality of care received at The Private Clinic. Feedback can be provided through their website at https://www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care
Additional Information
Age Limit. The minimum age for any surgeon consultation and surgical procedure is 18.
Period of Reflection (cooling-off period). Cosmetic surgery is a purely elective procedure and careful consideration should be given to both the potential benefits and the risks associated with surgery, before deciding to proceed. The Private Clinic advise that, following consultation with your surgeon, you allow a period of at least 14 days before making such a decision.
Consent and what it means. The consent form is designed to ensure that before your operation you and your surgeon are fully agreed as to the procedure that has been planned for you and that you understand all the potential benefits and complications. You will not be able to proceed unless this form is completed and signed.
Driving after surgery. Due to the effects of anaesthetic, you must not drive for a minimum of 24 hours after surgery. You would technically be driving under the influence of drugs and therefore your insurance would be void.
Cancellation of surgery by The Private Clinic. In the interest of patient safety and welfare, The Private Clinic medical team reserves the right to cancel or postpone your surgical procedure. We reserve the right to withhold reasonable direct costs incurred by the company as per our Terms & Conditions.
Terms & Conditions. Our full Terms & Conditions are viewable at http://www.theprivateclinic.co.uk/terms-and-conditions
Complaints. In the event that a Patient is dissatisfied with any aspect of the service provided, the Patient/or individual acting on behalf of the patient (the complainant) should raise the complaint with the Clinic Manager at the local clinic where they are registered as a patient or via email at complaints@theprivateclinic.co.uk The complaint will be dealt with in line with our Complaints Procedure (a copy of which can be provided on request).
Patient Access to Medical Records. In line with current legislation and company policy patients may request a copy of their medical records held by The Private Clinic. Requests can be made via your local clinic or by emailing dataprotectionofficer@theprivateclinic.co.uk In line with the Data Protection Act 2018 (GDPR) The Private Clinic will collate the information requested and provide it within 30 days of the request being made.
