Private GP needed in London

[Candace]

I'm a newbie, so please excuse its a bit confusing for me.  In the meantime does anyone know of or have a good private GP in London?  Living in France, (where my lovely GP recently died), I do need a good GP in the UK. My docs are there. (No specialist will take meon here unless I go to Paris and London is easier.)

I didn't have good experiences with GP's there so any thoughts would help. Living in France means I have no access to the NHS. 

I should add I have AMN or ALD, adrenoleukodystrophy, which is invariably diagnosed as MS in women, its seldom seen in women....very similar malady and I was initially diagnosed with PPMS in the early days. 

Huge fatigue is a big issue. Pls note I have tried to move back to the UK but I'm priced out of the housing market and much else. Very worried about Brexit but I won't start on that one. (I have to buy much of my meds privately in the UK, France will no longer pay for the expensive stuff.)

Main issue here is looking for a private GP, someone caring and supportive, does anyone know of one??

Many thanks, Candace

 

[Nick]

Hi Candace,

 

Just like to say welcome to the forum.  I don't live in London so can't really help. I do know what you mean about not very good experiences of GP's. 

Your situation is clearly difficult.  One possible way of getting more information might be to contact local neurological services near where you would like to look.  The MS Trust has a map of the UK with all the different services. 

MS services near me | MS Trust

WWW.MSTRUST.ORG.UK

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MS services near me

  

Contact with some of these may give you a lead towards finding private provision. 

 

Nick 

[Marina]

Hi Candace

 

Nice to see you on the forum!

Nick’s suggestion about the MS Trust’s Services map might be an idea. I, too, was wondering if maybe doing it in “reverse”, so to speak, might be beneficial - eg, find a specialist neuro who might know of a private GP.

Private GPs seem to be few and far between, I can’t find any in my area; on the other hand, I haven’t looked recently. But, in researching this for you, it seems it might not be quite as difficult as it used to be.

Another thought is to maybe look at private hospital chains, such as the two below, they sometimes have private GPs:

 

Private GP Service | Nuffield Health

WWW.NUFFIELDHEALTH.COM

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Nuffield Health's private GP service offers minimal waiting times, offering a convenient service at a time that suits you.

 

Private Hospitals & Health Care Services | BMI Healthcare UK

WWW.BMIHEALTHCARE.CO.UK

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Accessible private health care, medical and surgical services from BMI Healthcare, one of the largest quality private health care providers in the UK, across more than 59 locations.

There are also a number of private GP “services” popping up. This is an article in Pulse from 2016 about how:

Quote

Several new private GP services – mainly using smartphone apps or online consultations – have sprung up in the past year, offering rapid, convenient appointments for people who do not want the hassle of booking an appointment at their GP practice.

 

How private GP services are expanding | Comment | Pulse Today

WWW.PULSETODAY.CO.UK

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Caroline Price looks at the companies at the sharp end of the GP privatisation drive

 

The Guardian also did an article a year ago, albeit what seems to be an advertorial one:

 

How private GP care is meeting growing demand for fast access to appointments | HCA Healthcare UK partner zone | The Guardian

WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM

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Private health providers such as HCA Healthcare UK’s primary care business Roodlane Medical are using technology to respond to increasing demand for quick access to GPs healthcare

If you Google “private GP in London”, you’ll find a ton of links to private GP services. Knowing which ones might be any good might be another matter though.

“Caring and supportive” GPs seem to be a rarity these days, at least in the NHS where they’re overworked and you only have a 5 minute appointment (what good is 5 minutes if you’ve more than a cough or a cold?). Finding a private one, who's caring and supportive, might be a bit tricky too.

Do I take it you don’t have French social security or international private health insurance? Mind you, as one gets older, private health insurance becomes prohibitively expensive! If you did have insurance, the insurers might be able to suggest someone.

PS - Admin note: If anyone does know of a private GP, please send their details to Candace privately via PM, as we don’t allow naming of doctors (unless they’re really very well-known, like Prof Giovannoni of the Barts MS Blog).

[Candace]

Many thanks to Nick, Marina and all for their helpful replies. The MS Map doesn't mention GP's but as Marina says approaching the private hospitals might be the way to go. I found my last private GP via a top private clinic, close to where I stay, although the doc. said from the start she felt 'out of depth' with my case and clearly wasn't interested. Then being charged £175.00 as I left was always a bit of a jolt.  This is why I was hoping for a personal recommendation. 

I'll go back to the private hospital search and see if I can find someone a bit more in tune.  The private sector in London is disappointing in that they invariably want to know who recommended them, who are one's contacts, etc.  The private hospitals may be better with this as long as one avoids the top private GP clinics who are very 'socially connected' and solely interested in lining their pockets.

I have international private health insurance but it doesn't cover chronic illnesses, as always in the UK and they don't cover GP's fees.  (If only the Brits. could follow the Australian system!)  I have French social security but no French specialist will take meon, ALD is only covered by a Prof. in Paris and its easier for me to get to London, not Paris. The Prof. is a stem cell specialist in ALD, he's done fantastic work, but I hear he's primarily interested in affected children.  (Women are never included in trials.) Most specialists are not interested in women with this disease, the one exception is in Amsterdam.  No gastro, urologist, neurologist will touch me in the South of France, its a case of turf wars.   Its great having an illness that few doctors want to touch. Most GP's here have shown me the door.

The French Govt. are cutting back on supplying expensive meds where they can't negotiate down the fee. My current French GP describes this as a 'disaster'. Many meds are disappearing from France and UK expats are getting their supplies in the UK. (Unidose treatment for glaucoma is one e.g. I'm on another med. which social security paid for up until March, I now have it sent over from my pain specialist and pharmacy in London at £330.00 per month plus postage!) The French are still channelling money into their cancer treatments I note. The French stopped making my mild muscle relaxant, Tetrazepam, some time ago and there's nothing to replace this. This wasn't cost related however.

It's not easy living between 2 countries with a rare progressive malady. It will get tougher as Brexit kicks in.

I'll get going on the private hospital search for a GP. Many thanks.