Orthopaedic Patient Pathway Options
Discover all the orthopaedic pathway options available to patients.
Medbelle is committed to supporting all orthopaedic patients in receiving more seamless, personalised care. Our dedicated Patient Care Advisers are here to support you in navigating your healthcare journey better and understanding the treatment options available. In the initial call between any patient seeking orthopaedic care and your personal adviser at Medbelle, we will consider a patient's geographic location and personal circumstances in providing options best suited to you and your chosen treatment pathway.
Every UK patient has three treatment pathways available, and our advisers are able to provide guidance relating to each:
Non-insured patients
You can take control of your healthcare pathway by funding your treatment yourself. In order to see a consultant surgeon, a referral letter from your GP is not usually required, so you can book a consultation immediately if you would like to. Your adviser can talk you through all aspects of your patient pathway as you seek diagnosis or treatment for your condition, including surgical and non-surgical treatments, prices and choosing a consultant surgeon.
From the initial inquiry to consultation and imaging and on to rehabilitation, we support anyone wanting to self-finance any portion of treatment. Your Medbelle Patient Care Adviser will tell you at every step what to expect and whether your payments will be managed by Medbelle or by the hospital directly.
NHS
We support any orthopaedic patient wanting to pursue an NHS pathway by ensuring they are well-informed of their options and can make an informed decision about their health and treatment. We provide overviews of wait times on the NHS compared to the private pathway and can facilitate referring back to your GP for onward care within the NHS.
Many patients find it beneficial to understand private options and prices so that they can make an informed decision as to whether or not to wait on an NHS waiting list. The NHS can prioritise more urgent or severe cases. However, waitlists for surgery across the country can be very long. These decisions take time and discussion, and so a Medbelle Patient Care Adviser will be there to assist and continue to check in with you up until a point at which you feel confident in your chosen treatment pathway.
Combining the private and NHS services in one pathway is common for patients who are not eligible for an urgent procedure date through the NHS. In cases like this, non-invasive treatment, as recommended by an orthopaedic specialist, can greatly increase the day-to-day quality of life of a patient awaiting surgery. If diagnostic imaging, injections, or physiotherapy is required urgently, you may find it quicker and more convenient to arrange these through Medbelle while still availing of the NHS to have your main surgery.
We believe that as an orthopaedic patient, you should have full transparency over every stage of your treatment journey. We’ve found that getting access to the right information in a secondary care pathway is not always consistent, which is why we want to ensure that you have the right information to make the best decision for your or your loved ones’ care. Our advisers are on hand to ensure patients understand the next steps in your care and have realistic expectations along the way. No one should ever feel left in the dark when it comes to their health.
