Before booking your first private appointment, please obtain a referral letter from your GP or specialist and contact your insurance company.

Obtain a referral letter.

This can be from a physiotherapist, surgeon, physician or GP. A referral letter is important for two reasons. Firstly, it provides important information on previous treatment and imaging which Mr Bankes can review prior to your appointment. This allows further scans and x-rays to be arranged prior to your appointment if necessary thereby reducing delays and the need for follow up appointments to discuss results. To facilitate this process, newly referred patients need to arrange for discs (or packets) of any previous scans and x-rays to be sent in as soon as possible. Secondly, it is a stipulation of health insurance policies that patients are referred by a healthcare professional and do not self-refer.

Contact your insurance company.

It is essential that you contact your insurance company prior to booking your appointment to ensure that you can have treatment with Mr Bankes and to get their authorisation. There is huge variation in private medical insurance policies with some having restrictions on where and by whom your treatment takes place.

Two specific questions you may need to ask your insurance company are:

Can I have any necessary scans done at The London Clinic,

20 Devonshire Place?

Does my policy cover the following hospitals for in-patient care?
The London Clinic, The Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth or King Edward 7th Hospital for Officers