Before you start
How it works
Ten minutes of your time, and the better your reports, the better the opinion. Here is exactly what happens.
1. What to have ready
You don’t need to organise anything. Photos taken on your phone are fine — hold the phone flat over the page in good light. Gather whatever you have of:
- Test and scan reports — the typed report, not just the film or CD
- Prescriptions from the doctor treating this problem
- Discharge summary, if you were ever admitted for this. This single document usually tells our doctor more than anything else you can send.
- Biopsy or pathology report, if one was done
Missing something? Send what you have. We will tell you exactly what else we need, and the 48 hours starts once your file is complete — not before. We would rather ask than guess.
2. The two questions that matter most
Near the end of the form we ask what your doctor has advised, and what exactly you are unsure about. Please take your time over the second one.
Not very useful:
“Please give opinion on my knee.”
Much better:
“My doctor says I need a knee replacement now because the cartilage is gone. I am 58 and still working. Can I manage another two or three years with physiotherapy, or will waiting make the surgery harder?”
The second version tells our doctor what decision you are actually trying to make. That is what we answer.
3. Who reads it
An NMC-registered specialist from our panel — the same doctors who run OPD here. They review these cases after clinic hours. A case that reaches us before 18:00 is usually read the same evening.
4. What you get back
A written opinion, signed with the doctor’s name and registration number, that starts with a clear verdict — not three pages you have to interpret:
- We agree with your current plan, or
- We suggest a different approach, and what it is, or
- More information is needed before anyone can honestly advise, and which tests
Then the reasoning in plain language, and — the part patients tell us is most useful — the questions to put to your own doctor at your next visit.
5. Then nothing, unless you want something
You’ll get a private link to your case. The opinion appears there, and you can save or print it. You may ask us one clarifying question about it at no charge.
Nobody from our office will call you to book treatment. If you want to consult us after reading the opinion, you contact us. That is the whole arrangement, and it is the reason we can say the opinion is honest.
How long it really takes
| Stage | How long |
|---|---|
| Filling the form | About 10 minutes |
| We check your file is complete | Same day |
| If something is missing, we message you | Clock pauses until it arrives |
| Doctor reviews and writes the opinion | Within 48 hours of a complete file |
We promise 48 hours and most cases are answered the same evening. We would rather promise something we can keep than a number that sounds better.