Navigating UK access today and the private clinic options. What's your experience been?
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[UK] UK access check-in today - NHS vs private
honestly, not UK based so take this with a pinch of salt, but I moved from NHS waiting list to private and the pharmacy paperwork was the fiddly bit, not the prescription itself. Curious whether the private clinics you're looking at bundle the follow up or charge it separately.
Private was the only route that moved for me too. My GP surgery kept pointing at the BMI threshold while I was already past it, so I stopped waiting on the referral and just paid.
Did you find the private check-ins changed how you stick with it, or was it mostly the same routine you'd already built? I'm curious because mine feel more like admin than support.
Private was the only route that moved for me too, my GP surgery basically shrugged and pointed at the waiting list. The monthly check-ins have kept me honest over the long haul, which matters more than I expected going in
Not UK, I'm in Rhode Island, but my GP also shrugged me off so I went private and the monthly check-ins are the only reason I stay consistent. Curious whether the private clinics over there bundle the check-ins or bill them separately.
private clinic here too. Mine does the monthly check-ins by phone which I thought would be useless, but it's kept me on track better than I expected.
Miami here so no NHS for me, but my clinic bills per pen rather than a flat monthly fee, which made it easier to see what I was actually paying for.
Mine quoted per pen, not monthly, and the price moved a bit between pens so I had to ask outright before committing.
what swung it for me was asking the clinic directly whether bloods and follow-ups were in the bundled price, because two of the three I rang had them hidden as extras. Did you get a straight answer on that from any of them?
Did any of the private clinics you rang quote a separate follow-up fee on top of the bundled monthly price? Mine bundled the meds but billed consults separately and I only found that out later
idk, did you ring around for quotes before picking one? Mine came in wildly different once I asked what the bundled monthly actually covered
Per-pen quoting caught me out too, the cheap first month made me think I had budgeted properly until the higher doses landed.
Did you ask your GP whether they'd still do shared care once you're stable on private? Mine said no to funding but yes to monitoring, which saved a chunk.
private was my only route too after the GP criteria shut me out. I'm only partway down so far but the per-pen price creeping up as doses climb is what I'm bracing for.
How much did the private consultation set you back before you even got the first pen? I'm weighing up whether the NHS wait is worth it
went private after my GP said I didn't qualify, and the pharmacy markup on top of the private script was the part nobody warned me about. How are you finding the actual clinic side of it, not just the price?
private was the only way I got moving too, though my GP did at least run the bloods first. Has anyone actually had their NHS criteria loosened locally, or is it still the same old BMI wall?
Which ICB are you under? Mine moved the BMI threshold in April and my GP surgery still had the old leaflet up, so worth ringing yours direct rather than trusting the website
Do you find the private prices differ much between the online clinics and a local pharmacy? I've only used one place so far and never thought to shop around at refill time.
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