Patient Journey

Transcript

Thank you for visiting my website. When setting this up, I thought it important that you have a guide as to what to expect from me and my practice. We aim to provide a responsive, individualised service, offering the highest level of clinical care backed up by the latest research, ensuring that my patients are offered the best options, whatever their surgical needs. Your initial inquiry will usually be answered on the same day, but at the very least within two working days. There can be a wait for the first actual meeting or consultation, and my admin team are trained to discuss your needs with you, as some patients, such as those with ruptured breast implants, for example, might need to be prioritised. The team will send you a registration document, which, once completed, will allow us to communicate with you in a safe way, protecting your data. The initial consultation with me takes around 45 minutes for most patients. It will be followed by a comprehensive, personalised summary letter from me, along with the information sheets and relevant quotations. All patients are seen at least twice and often more prior to surgery. It is vitally important that you consider all the options, benefits and risks before moving forward, hence the need for a wait or a cooling-off period before the operation. Some consultations can be carried out virtually, but no surgery can take place unless we have met face-to-face at least once. Two to three weeks before the operation, you will need a pre-operative consultation. It includes a meeting with me to confirm our plans, and then a meeting with the nursing staff who will explain your admission and organise bras or supportive garments. There is a one-off standard fee for this entire consultation process, irrespective of the number of visits. If you decide to undergo surgery, admission to hospital takes place on the day of operation. You will see the ward nurses first, and then one of my dedicated consultant anaesthetists to discuss the anaesthetic. You will then see me, I will take standard pre-operative photographs and carry out detailed planning by marking the skin whilst you are standing. You will only ever be operated on by me. I do not employ or use other surgeons in my practice. After the operation, I will visit you on the ward to explain what has been done and check on your recovery. If you stay in hospital overnight, I will also visit you the next morning. Following discharge, you will be given the contact details of the nurses in my office, and you can call or message them at any time during working hours. Out of hours, you can call the hospital ward for more urgent advice if needed. All your consultations following surgery will be scheduled before your actual operation. The standard includes a one-week appointment with my nurses, a two-week appointment with me and my nurses, then a six-week appointment with me, and finally a three-month appointment with me, when most patients are discharged from the clinic. All of this is included in your surgical package price. However, patients can return at a later date if they have concerns or require longer-term follow-up.