What to check in a private treatment quote

Ask which business is charging each fee

A hospital price and a consultant price can describe different parts of the same treatment. PHIN's hospital pricing guide explains why patients may receive bills from the hospital, the treating consultant and the anaesthetist. A fixed package may combine those fees. Ask the hospital to say explicitly which arrangement applies to your quote.

Write the name of the charging business beside each amount. If the hospital cannot confirm a clinician's fee, request that clinician's contact details and a separate written estimate. Do not enter zero for an amount you have not received. Leave it unanswered. Add the amount only when the provider confirms it.

The question is the total you are agreeing to pay for the planned care. A lower consultant fee does not establish a lower overall cost when the hospital bill is still missing. The self-pay surgery price guide covers advertised procedure figures. This checklist is for checking the personalised offer before accepting it.

Copy these fields into your comparison

Start with the procedure. Use one column per provider and compare the same planned treatment, including its exact description and any alternative the consultant says may be needed. Keep the provider's exact description of the treatment with the quote rather than replacing it with a shorter label.

The table lists questions to ask, not a promise of standard inclusions. Providers can use different package terms. Ask them to attach the relevant terms to the quote and explain any limit you cannot match to the proposed care.

Keep the consultation and tests visible

PHIN's fee guidance describes the initial consultation as a charge separate from later treatment, and warns diagnostic tests can also add costs. Ask for the consultation fee before the appointment, then request a new estimate when the consultant recommends tests or a procedure.

The CMA's Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order sets information requirements for consultants. Article 22 addresses information before an outpatient consultation and before further tests or treatment, including estimates and services left outside them. The published documents also include the 2017 variation. This is a reason to request written fee information early, rather than treating a missing estimate as routine.

Keep a running total of amounts already paid and amounts still due. Ask whether a deposit is credited against the final bill. If you paid for a consultation at one provider and move to another, ask the new provider what it needs before issuing a treatment quote. Do not assume it will accept a previous estimate or include a fresh consultation without charge.

Ask specifically about the anaesthetist

PHIN explains anaesthetic fees are separate professional fees, although self-pay packages often include them. A pre-operative assessment appointment may also form part of a package. Confirm both points with the hospital.

Ask who will provide anaesthetic care and whether their total fee appears in your treatment letter. If you receive a range, ask what determines the final charge. PHIN publishes anaesthesia fee ranges and averages alongside relevant surgical consultant profiles. Use those as context for your questions, rather than as a substitute for your own quote.

Put an end date beside aftercare

For each aftercare service, ask how many appointments are included, where they happen and how long the cover lasts. Separate the consultant follow-up from hospital nursing checks and physiotherapy. Request the price or pricing basis for services outside the stated allowance.

Ask what happens if you need an extra night or treatment changes during surgery. PHIN's hospital pricing guidance warns package terms may limit aftercare and exclude costs arising from unexpected complications. Read your own terms. Request the precise conditions for your package, including what the hospital will do if the original estimate no longer describes the treatment being proposed. Avoid relying on the word 'inclusive' without reading the exclusions which qualify it.

Travel and accommodation also need a separate budget if appointments are far from home. Record the location of each follow-up when comparing offers, so a package does not appear cheaper only because the cost of repeated journeys is absent from your notes.

If an insurer is paying

Use the PHIN insured-fees information to understand whether a consultant reports charging within an insurer's reimbursement limits. Arrangements are recorded by clinician, hospital, insurer and procedure. Confirm your particular combination directly with the insurer.

Request authorisation for the hospital, consultant and anaesthetist, including any tests. Ask the insurer what you must pay in excess, shortfalls or excluded services. Keep the authorisation reference and written coverage decision with the treatment letter. A shortfall is the difference between a professional fee and the insurer's payment, which is separate from the excess agreed in the policy.

Our insurance excess and exclusions guide explains those policy features. This page does not assess whether a particular operation or policy claim is covered.

Before you send a payment

• Match the quote to the named procedure, hospital and clinicians.
• Add every known charge once and mark unresolved amounts clearly.
• Check the quote's expiry date and ask whether a delay changes the price.
• Save the treatment letter, exclusions, payment terms and any insurer authorisation together.
• Ask the provider to correct inconsistencies between an email, telephone explanation and written terms before accepting.

PHIN's consultant cost information covers professional fees and explains the additional hospital and anaesthetic components. If your question is about an unpriced item, send it to the business responsible for that item and request a revised written total.