to change docs or not? Your views. please!

I really like my present doc! He is accessible, listens to me, supports me and has given me perfect restriction with every single fill! Pretty unique really! With his support, my 5 years have been basically smooth!

But I see him privately and each fill now costs £100; the hospital in which he works is an 1 1/2 hour drive away (and with the present cost of petrol in the UK, that is not only time consuming but expensive!).

My GP (family doc, working for the nationalised health service) has offered me the choice of getting my wls related issues taken over by the NHS. So totally free, 5 minutes drive from home, equally experienced doctor.

To change or not to change???? If it were only fills, no big deal; being below goal, I don't need fills!!

But i also get an annual barium swallow - about £450 through my private doc. I recently had a leak repaired - cost me £2500!  Hope that isn't going to happen again but if it did, I assume that that would also be free (not totally sure about that as i am now normal BMI and although I know I needed the leak repaired to stay that way, not sure if the NHS would pay for repair surgery on someone who was not obese!).

If things were to go really wrong - like erosion or really severe slip, the NHS would take over anyway so that isn't the issue.

But I trust my present doc! And if I went to the NHS, the docs would all be well trained but I might not see the same one every time.

What do you think, folks??? I'm not penniless but I don't have money to waste unnecessarily!

Kate

 Have you asked your doc if he can cut you a deal?

 I'd switch to at least try it.  You could always switch back if you don't like it, or if you have an issue that you want your original doc to handle.

Tami

Being that you are in the maintenance stage of your journey, I would go with NHS, true you may not get the same doctor but you are really going in for a check up....how often do you see your doctor? Why spend money on something that is really not necessary to spend it on?

Thats really tricky....I was under the impression that the NHS would not touch self pay banders in the UK...apart from just removing the band in an emergency!

I'd be inclined to stick with what you know, but as you say its so expensive, so it has to be your decision.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Jill

Jill, no, not at all. I have been asked if i wanted to transfer to the NHS clinic several times - but I was still getting fills then and so decided not to.

When you get to goal, many docs recommend an annual barium swallow and I have always had that done through my GP and he has forwarded the results to my private doc. . But this year, for the first time, they said they will only do it free if I actually "join" the local Obesity Clinic.

Kate

Well that's interesting Kate....I paid for a 2yr package of care with Gatwick Bupa, so I'll be interested to see what is offered after that!

Jill

The offer came through my GP on 2 occasions and then from the NHS radiologist who did my annual swallow on one occasion.

This time, the one I am considering is from the PCT.  I actually have a letter from the NHS clinic inviting me for an appointment.

Kate

Me personally I would stick with the doc I have right now , but that is just me.  And the word free bothers me you get what you get when something is free no matter what it is .

Actually free medical care in the UK means generally speaking, excellent care! Things do go wrong as they do in any system, private or state funded. But we are used over here to free health care being good health care!  Thinking I might get sub-standard care never crossed my mind! Remember, we expect our health care to be free!

Kate