Insured private patients usually need to be referred by their General Practitioner (GP), physiotherapist, or other specialist. Mr. Gidwani is approved as a ‘provider’ of healthcare by all the major insurance companies, including BUPA, AXA PPP, Aviva, Cigna, Vitality Health (formerly known as Pru Health), Simply Health, WPA and Allianz.
Appointments can be made by contacting Mr. Gidwani’s secretary, Sally Ann, on 020 7234 2254 or by clicking on the contact link at the top of this page.
‘Self-pay’ private patients can arrange an appointment directly with Sally Ann, without the need for a referral.
If you are an insured patient, you will need to bring your policy number and the authorization code for the appointment that has been provided by your insurer. Please also bring a copy of the referral from your GP or physiotherapist.
If the consultation is about a hand or wrist problem that has been previously treated elsewhere, or you would like a second opinion on treatment already carried out, please bring any relevant medical records, doctor’s letters and imaging (X-rays or other scans) that you have in your possession.
In general terms, appointments will last as long as required to complete the assessment required on that day. On average, ‘new patient’ appointments take 20 to 30 minutes, and ‘follow-up’ appointments 15 minutes, but this can, of course, vary depending on the circumstances. If an X-ray is required, it is usually carried out and reviewed on the same day, but if other more specialized scans (Ultrasound, CT, MRI etc) are needed, they are carried out on an appointment basis and the results discussed at the next appointment.
For insured patients, Mr. Gidwani will invoice the insurance company directly. It is therefore important that the insurance company has been made aware of the planned appointment and has provided an authorization code. Mr. Gidwani charges fees for consultations that are approved by each insurance company, so there should be no extra charge (or ‘shortfall’) to pay, unless there is an excess or outpatient limit on your policy. The ultimate responsibility for payment of the consultation fees rests with the patient.
For self-pay patients, Mr. Gidwani charges £250 for new patients and £180 for follow-up patients.
A number of hand conditions, such as trigger finger or certain forms of tendinitis, can be diagnosed on examination and treated by the administration of a steroid injection. Most insurance companies will include authorization for such procedures as part of outpatient appointments, but if you have any doubts you should check with your insurance company.
If Mr. Gidwani recommends an operation, he will spend as long as you need to explain the rationale for his opinion, the aims of the surgery, and the risks and benefits of the surgery. He will also explain the post-operative care, which will often involve appointments with hand therapists as well as check-up(s) with him after the surgery. This is known as the consent process, and after the discussion, you will be asked to sign a ‘consent form’.
This in no way commits you to having the operation, but Mr. Gidwani prefers to complete this step in the outpatient clinic, as it gives the patient time to reflect on any further questions or concerns that may exist. In this case, please feel free to contact Mr. Gidwani with any questions via his secretary.
You will be given information on the type of anaesthetic, how many days you will need to be in hospital, and the code (or occasionally, codes) of the procedure – all of which your insurance company will also want to know from you, in order to provide authorization. Fortunately, the majority of hand surgery can be done without having to stay in hospital (also known as ‘day-case surgery’), or with only one night’s stay.
In the case of self-pay patients, a quotation will be provided before the operation which will cover all costs associated with the surgery, including the fees of the surgeon and the anaesthetist, the hospital charges, and any necessary hand therapy and post-operative follow up appointments.
Once you have recovered from the anaesthetic and the operation, you will be discharged from the hospital with the necessary instructions and painkillers, including details of your follow-up appointments. Often it is necessary for patients to see a hand therapist after surgery, as well as having follow-up appointments with Mr. Gidwani. Depending on the nature of the surgery and the amount of time you remain in hospital, Mr. Gidwani may or may not be able to see you prior to your discharge; all patients who stay in hospital overnight, however, will be seen after their operation.
If you have any concerns after surgery, please contact Sally Ann immediately and she will pass your concerns on to Mr. Gidwani. In the rare event that you have significant pain or other worrying symptoms post-operatively and are unable to contact Mr. Gidwani, please contact the London Hand and Wrist Unit on 020 3214 3617, or attend your local Accident and Emergency Department.
