Harley St.Doctors.

kneemos

Particularly expensive from what I gather,but what have they got that other private practices haven't?

Junkyard Tom

kneemos wrote: »

what have they got that other private practices haven't?

Patients with deep pockets.

ballsymchugh

the address. any doctor can set up there, as long as they have the funds to pay the rent. then they can charge through the nose for what can be got in most other places for a fraction of the cost.

Trudiha

Nothing whatsoever. Check the professional qualifications of any medic you might want to see and then google them for reviews. I could hire consulting rooms in Harley Street tomorrow with a months rent and no medical qualifications at all.

The parking is difficult too.

anncoates

wtf

Canis Lupus

Another quality thread brought to you by Kneemos.

The Peanut

I wonder has the OP got some NASA'esque technology that just feeds his dreams/sleepytime thoughts directly to start threads in AH?

Desolation Of Smug

Yes, all the wealthy people who go to Harley St Doctors are complete fools...that's how they got to be wealthy enough to go and see Harley St Doctors....no...wait...

Banjo String

Tracy Jacks said they're just so overrated.

JuliusCaesar

If you want a second opinion for an Irish consultant, and the speciality is small, so all the Irish consultants know each other - go to England, see a consultant privately (doesn't have to be Harley St) and pay in sterling pretty much the same as you pay the consultant here (around €200/£200) for a really independent second opinion.


I was astonished that I paid the equivalent for a Harley St appointment as I did here in one of the hospitals. Service was better in that the H St consultant listened to what I had to say, and didn't brush off my opinion.

I saw the BBC documentary about Harley st, one doctor was honest enough to say they are not any different nor better that an NHS doctor all the equipment they have the NHS has, what people are paying for is the personal relationship with the consultant and for convenience.

They are not getting any better health care.

kneemos

mariaalice wrote: »

I saw the BBC documentary about Harley st, one doctor was honest enough to say they are not any different nor better that an NHS doctor all the equipment they have the NHS has, what people are paying for is the personal relationship with the consultant and for convenience.

They are not getting any better health care.

Saw the last bit of it,neck and jockeys bollox came to mind.

mariaalice

mariaalice wrote: »

I saw the BBC documentary about Harley st, one doctor was honest enough to say they are not any different nor better that an NHS doctor all the equipment they have the NHS has, what people are paying for is the personal relationship with the consultant and for convenience.

They are not getting any better health care.

I didn't see the documentary, but I'd think that a better relationship with your consultant is better health care. Public service docs are pressed for time and you won't have the same consultation as you would with a private one who has time to listen to your feelings and opinions. In the public service they have to take care of many more patients, the individual investment of personal care is less due to pressure of time and numbers.

Birneybau

Banjo String wrote: »

Tracy Jacks said they're just so overrated.

I thought he/she was prescribed better living?

Candie

Candie wrote: »

I didn't see the documentary, but I'd think that a better relationship with your consultant is better health care. Public service docs are pressed for time and you won't have the same consultation as you would with a private one who has time to listen to your feelings and opinions. In the public service they have to take care of many more patients, the individual investment of personal care is less due to pressure of time and numbers.

The bottom line is if you have an illness such as cancer you will be given the same treatment, public, private, NHS, Harley st, in other words you money wont buy you a better outcome, you money will get you maybe a private room and more plush surrounding and maybe that will help with you psychological health, however thats very hard to quantifie.

mariaalice

mariaalice wrote: »

The bottom line is if you have an illness such as cancer you will be given the same treatment, public, private, NHS, Harley st, in other words you money wont buy you a better outcome, you money will get you maybe a private room and more plush surrounding and maybe that will help with you psychological health, however thats very hard to quantifie.

It might be the bottom line Mariaalice, but I don't think people should ever underestimate the benefit of having a doctor with the time to alleviate a patients concerns, reassure them, listen to them, and generally help them feel cared for. A more positive experience leads to better outcomes, even if it's 'just' psychological.

I know you can get excellent care in the public service, I'd never devalue the work of medical staff anywhere, but if you can afford it and you feel the benefit of the relationship that goes with private care, then to each their own.

conorhal

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

If you want a second opinion for an Irish consultant, and the speciality is small, so all the Irish consultants know each other - go to England, see a consultant privately (doesn't have to be Harley St) and pay in sterling pretty much the same as you pay the consultant here (around €200/£200) for a really independent second opinion.


I was astonished that I paid the equivalent for a Harley St appointment as I did here in one of the hospitals. Service was better in that the H St consultant listened to what I had to say, and didn't brush off my opinion.

Or even better, get your free Euro health card and go to Portugal. After several years of mysterious pains and stomoch complaints and thousands spent on consultants probing him up one end and down the other, by dad went to a GP in Portugal. He threw out half the medication my dad had been put on, provided the correct prescriptions and ordered an MRI for him that cost 90 euro. It revealed that he had (benign) cysts on his liver and kidney's that were the likely source of his discomfort.

I't become my opinion that GPs in this country are little more then gate keepers for consultants, charging a 60 euro entry fee and consultants are utterly useless for the most part because they don't listen to patients and rarely order tests outside their specialty. That's why it's important to have a gp that does more then send you to a gastro consultant for the same tests over and over. That unfortunatly requires GPs that know something more then the price of a 15 minute consultation.