Consultation
The consultation process is a very important part of treating a patient and one not to be overlooked. Not only is it a legal requirement to aid diagnosis, consent, discussion on risks and benefits of potential treatments that may be undertaken but it is the patient’s opportunity to utilise time spent with a medical expert gaining valuable knowledge in whatever you seek advice for. It is extremely valuable to both clinician and patient alike and essential in starting a trusted relationship between the two.
It is perhaps best understood as a two-way social interaction involving interactive decision making between the clinician and the patient. In a typical consultation the clinician elicits information from the patient, then offers a diagnosis or opinion and may also discuss and offer treatment.
The patient can choose what information to disclose and how to present it, can ask questions that influence the clinician’s perception of the problem, can make explicit requests and, above all, can choose how to respond to the advice offered or the treatment prescribed.
The outcome of the consultation is affected by the actions and choices of both participants.
Booking Charges and Fees
For all new patients to the clinic we require a £50 booking fee; this is based on time allocation. This is non-refundable BUT is, in some circumstances deducted from the costs of certain treatment, unfortunately it is not deducted from any products or prescriptions.
Consultant booking fees differ therefore, an appointment fee for treatment will be taken in advance of the appointment. Consultant fees are noted in the price list for each specialist so please familiarise yourself with what each fee is based upon. Reception will aid with any questions you may have.
Please be sure that when making an appointment you are aware of our policy for cancellations and re-schedules, if you are unsure please ask at reception for a paper copy of our T&C’s.
Please be aware that if you cancel your appointment with less than 72-hours notice or should you fail to attend on the day you will be charged at 50% of the planned treatment costs. Rescheduling prior to the 72 hour notice period is not subject to penalty charges.
Failed appointments are costly to the service and a waste of clinical time; anyone failing to attend 2 appointments will not be accepted as a continuing care patient.
Please be sure that you are willing to make the commitment to see our surgeons, the NHS is in a time of crisis and we are happy to provide our expertise when requested however, this clinic has no government assistance therefore we would very much appreciate a respectful use of our time and services.
Expert clinicians know that most of the information directing towards the correct diagnosis comes from attentive listening to the patient’s history of the presenting complaint, set in the context of the patient’s life and known medical conditions.
Physical examination adds some further useful information and tests are used to confirm or refute possibilities. As the clinician listens to and examines the patient, their brain is full of clinical reasoning, which is high-level thinking around possible diagnoses. Their clinical reasoning directs the questioning and focused physical examination. The clinician is doing two high-level mental activities simultaneously: attentive listening and clinical reasoning.
In other words, a consultation involves interactive shared decision making. There is little evidence that shared decision making routinely happens in consultations, and here at Clinic M we want to change all that. We want to put the patient at the forefront of deciding about what happens to their health and how they would like it managed.
It is clear from evidence that the outcome of the consultation will still usually depend on the choices of both the clinician and the patient—the clinician’s decision about treatment or management and the patient’s decision about whether to follow the advice or prescribed treatment.
Medical consent and arguably, the main part of our job, is to give the patient all the treatment options available for their specific concern, whether the clinic offers the treatments or not. This is called informed consent.
It is the responsibility of the patient to choose an option that suits their lifestyle, desire, and budget. It is also the responsibility of the patient to have researched all the options given by the clinician prior to deciding on what treatment they wish to further explore. Therefore a patient is asked to sign a consent form, another legal requirement.
A consultation cannot be exhaustive, and a clinician cannot make the decisions for you, therefore, it is imperative that you come armed with questions and information that you wish to discuss, and when you leave, you feel that you have gleaned enough information to allow you to make a comfortable treatment choice.
We are here to provide you with our education and knowledge.
Consultation with the Doctors and LASER Practitioners
Mr P.D. Grime
MB ChB. BDS. FDSRCS. FRCS. MSc SEM PG Cert MSKUS
Mr Grime is our Medical Director and is now on-site full time. He is an amazing surgeon and a very approachable, down to earth, all round very caring lovely man. He is a distinguished Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon and an expert witness in his field. He has a distinguished career in professional sport, a former rugby player himself he moved into working in a professional capacity with professional football and rugby clubs both nationally, in Europe and with World Rugby, attending several World Cups. He is a dentist, a doctor, and a Consultant Surgeon with a Masters in Sports Medicine a Pg Cert in ultrasound diagnosis (MSK), he is our MD, trainer, and educator. A consultation with him allows you to tap into more than 45 years of medical expertise and knowledge, if anyone knows the human body, he does..
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- Steroid Injections Inverness
What are the most frequently asked questions why a consultation is so important to us....and to you.
Can I self-refer to the clinic or do I have to go through my GP?
Either. We accept self-referrals to all our healthcare professionals. You just phone and ask for a consultation appointment. We do accept GP referrals and we do write to your GP if you would like us to share information, we ask your permission prior to doing this.
For example, our gynaecologist will write to your GP with an action plan and advise on altered medications, which can then be taken forward and managed by your own GP.
Why do I need a consultation appointment?
It is a legal requirement for any professional registered with a governing body (GDC/ GMC/ RGN), who clinically treats patients under HIS Scottish government legislation, a consultation appointment MUST take place, as defined above. It forms part of the consent process.
The consultation enables both the Clinician and the Client to understand what is needed as well as what is wanted; an exploration of what is possible, ‘the desirable’ and ‘the achievable’. Consultation reduces the gap between what is known and what is unknown.
Why do I have to pay for a consultation?
Depending on who your consultation is with depends on the charge. Our staff are highly qualified registrants who have worked hard for years, gaining extensive qualifications to keep patient’s safe. You are paying for the benefit of their expertise, to confirm the allocation of their time, and depending on what you are booked in for, you are accessing the very best of healthcare practitioners, who will, if they cannot assist you, find someone who can.
What happens in a consultation?
Again, depending on who you see and what you are requesting an appointment for, a discussion and treatment can take place on the same day. If you understand the procedure, don’t feel rushed into deciding and can comfortably signed the consent to treatment you can be treated on the day.
Consultant Gynaecologist:
An initial consultation is approximately one hour and includes a full history, BMI and blood pressure, patient preferences, expectations of treatment and development of a plan. The menopause is covered and diagnosed, hormonal and non-hormonal options for treatment including painful intercourse, vaginal dryness / discomfort, urinary frequency / urgency.
A clinical examination is also carried out, if required.
The advantages of discussing treatment with a consultant as opposed to a GP is 2-fold. Speedy access on to the correct pathway, in depth information and access to otherwise limited treatment options.
What is a test patch consultation?
A test patch is a legal requirement when using certain types of LASERS. We are not insured if you do not have a test patch. For example, a hair removal test patch must be performed prior to commencing treatment. This is to ensure that the skin reacts appropriately and that you have come to no harm. 24-48 hours if often enough to determine whether the skin is going to adversely react to a LASER treatment. LASERS mostly adverse effect Skin Types III,IV, V and VI.
What is involved in a tongue tie consultation appointment?
Mr Grime is a Maxillofacial Consultant and has treated over 3000 babies to date. Mr Grime will examine the baby and discuss his clinical findings with you, the parents. He will spend time talking with mum to evaluate her feeding experience. Once he has made a diagnosis, he will explain what can be done next. If you as parents, make the decision to go ahead with the ‘snip’ he will perform the tongue tie snip on the same day.
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