What do I need for my first consultation?
A referral letter from either your general practitioner or physiotherapist is required if you are paying with private health insurance. You should also bring your insurance policy number and pre-authorisation code for the consultation.
Please call the hospital you are being seen at and kindly ask for any images done at external hospitals to retransferred across along with the reports as this will save considerable time.
How much does a consultation cost?
For insured patients, prices are set according to the scales produced by the major insurance companies, and Mr. Mathew is recognized by most major insurance providers.
If you are a self pay patient Mr. Mathew’s fees vary according to the clinic location . Further pricing information can be provided upon request. The individual hospitals may have their own additional charges for investigations and medications.
What if I need Surgery?
The decision for surgery is not always easy and adequate time will be offered to ensure you understand what is involved. Once you have decided on surgery you will be consented for the operation and Mr. Mathew will provide you with an OPCS code. Once you have been given the OPCS code you should inform your insurance company to obtain authorization. Occasionally multiple OPCS codes are required for one operation and this would represent two or more different procedures being performed in the one operation.
In the days before your scheduled procedure, the hospital will contact you and give you the information you need for the day of surgery.
Video Consultation with Mr Mathew
Dear Sir/ Madam
You are being invited to a Zoom or Teams video consultation. It inadvisable to do this on a lap top so you can have both hands free in
case you need to self examine.
Please check that you have a working camera and microphone pre meeting.
Please click the join meeting link in the email You may need to download the zoom app or teams
Here is the link:
Zoom app – https://zoom.us/download
Teams – https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/microsoft-teams/download-app
Please note that video consultations are chargeable as per face to face consultations. These can be arranged by contacting My PA
Best wishes
PM
How long will the consultation last?
The new patient consultation can last up to 30 minutes. It is important to note that some conditions are relatively simple and some complex and the timing may vary as necessary to make sure you have clearly understood the suspected pathology and the management plan. Follow up appointments can last up to 15 minutes but again can vary.
Will I need any scans or x-rays?
Most Insurance companies cover x-rays as part of the initial authorisation, but please check first. Most Orthopaedic conditions will require an x-ray, which can usually be done on the same day.Scans, however are usually performed on a separate day and a follow up appointment is required to discuss the results. Scans (MRI, CT, and ultrasound) are expensive and the insurance companies almost always require authorization. If however you are a self-pay patient the Hospital will charge you directly for x-rays and scans.
What if things go wrong?
Complications are fortunately quite rare in hand and wrist surgery. However they still can occur.
A through close post-operative evalution and clinical review by Mr Mathew and his team will help identify any problems early so that they can be investigated and treated appropriately.
In an emergency please call the hospital directly; and kindly inform Mr. Mathew directly through the practice manager