How to choose a Private Paediatric Orthopaedic Specialist in Hertfordshire or London

If you are looking for a Private Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon – either for yourself or a family member – you would be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed or not knowing where to start.

In this article, we have put together a brief guide to finding the right Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon for you. Of course, if you feel we might be able to help with your child’s bone or joint problems, then we would be delighted to see them in clinic. But if not, we hope it helps your child on their journey to good health all the same.

Starting your search for a Private Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon

There are several ways you can come up with a “long list” of consultant specialists. Here are our top suggestions:

1.    Ask your GP for a recommendation

In most cases, you will need a GP referral to see a consultant in Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery. The consultant will not know anything about you or your medical history, so it is helpful for your GP to be involved.

If you are planning to pay for the consultation and/or any subsequent treatment through private medical insurance, it is likely your insurer would require a GP referral to process your claim too.

Aside from these practicalities, your GP will have made many referrals locally and got to know the Paediatric Orthopaedic surgeons in the area. Their experience of working with them will be valuable insight, and their recommendations should be considered.

2.    Ask your insurer for a recommendation

As we have mentioned, your private medical insurer will influence your selection process if you are insured, if only from the practical perspective of payment.

If a Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon doesn’t work with your insurer, then that will likely rule them out – unless you are so keen to see them that you self-fund the consultation/treatment.

Your insurer will be able to make recommendations if you do not know where to start – but even if you do not have insurance with them, Bupa’s Finder tool is a comprehensive directory and a great way to find out more about a particular specialist. For example, here is Mr Ng Man Sun’s profile.

Of course, there are specialists that do not work with Bupa but the Finder is a good place to begin your search.

3.    Use online review and recommendation websites

Reviews and recommendations are a part of everyday life, and they now include private healthcare too.

You can use a service like Doctify, or Top Doctors to help with your search for a Paediatric Orthopaedic Consultant.

Doctify asks patients to describe their experience with a consultant. This means the reviews can give you an insight into how they work, which might be just as important to you as their clinical experience. Mr Ng Man Sun’s Doctify profile can be reviewed here.

Top Doctors positions itself as a more selective directory of consultants, with a registration process that the specialist must ‘pass’ before being on their system. Mr Ng Man Sun’s Top Doctors’ profile can be reviewed here.

4.    Search the consultant directory for your hospital of choice

Knowing where you want to have your appointment or treatment will help you decide which Paediatric Orthopaedic surgeon to see.

Maybe you would prefer a private hospital in your local area, making it easier for you (and any visitors) to get there.

Or perhaps you want to travel further away to be treated in a hospital that has specialist equipment and facilities, or a strong reputation and CQC rating.

Paediatric Orthopaedic consultants have to apply for practising privileges before they are permitted to see patients in an independent hospital. So if being seen at a particular hospital is important to you, the directory of consultants on the hospital website would be a useful place to start your search.

As examples, here are Mr Ng Man Sun’s hospital profiles for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, and One Hatfield Hospital in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

Creating a shortlist of Private Paediatric Orthopaedic Specialists

So now you have made a good list of Paediatric Orthopaedic Specialists that work with your insurer, at the hospital you want to go to, and come recommended by both patients and medical professionals.

By this stage, you will likely be more than happy with whoever you choose from this list. But if you’re still not sure who to book an appointment with, perhaps take these extra steps.

1.    Read their web profiles and reviews again

Whether it is a directory profile or their own website, check for the basics such as their experience, professional memberships and if they mention specific condition or treatment.

It may be that there is not much to differentiate one from another, but you will hopefully get a feel for their personality from their bio too.

2.    Research their social media

Find out if they have a social media profile and take a look. As with their directory profiles, see if you can get insight into their personality and whether they could be a good ‘fit’ for you and your child as a patient.

They may also share useful case studies or clinical experience on social media that does not feature on their website or directory profiles.

By way of example, you can find Mr Ng Man Sun on ‘X’ or Linked In.

3.    Private Hospital Information Network (PHIN)

PHIN is a new Government-mandated, not-for-profit initiative. It aims to help patients make private healthcare choices by giving them access to better information about hospitals, consultants and procedures.

PHIN is still in its early days, and at the time of writing there is limited information on its database. However, it is worth checking to see if it can help you identify which Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon to choose.

Finding the right private Paediatric Orthopaedic Consultant

We hope this has been a useful resource to help you find the right Paediatric Orthopaedic Consultant to review your child.

If we have made it to the top of your shortlist, Mr Ng Man Sun would be delighted to see your child in clinic soon. But if not, we thank you for reading and wish you and your children good health.