Hip Health Check

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I choose which consultant I see?

Absolutely. Self-funding your treatment enables you to choose when you are seen, and who you are seen by. King Edward VII’s Hospital consultants are among the finest in the UK, so you can be sure you are choosing one of the best for your hip condition.

The list of available consultants for hip health checks are on this web page.

Is the price fixed irrespective of how complex my hip problem is?

Any hip problem would be suitable for this health check, including problems following previous hip replacement.

However, if more complex investigation is required, there might be a supplemental cost.

Can I use my private health insurance?

If you have private medical insurance, you can still choose when you are seen and who you are seen by, from the same list of outstanding specialists.

The booking process is a little different. This ‘package’ price has been created for self-funding patients only and is not applicable to patients with private medical insurance.

However, if you have private medical insurance, the costs of consultations, diagnostics and treatment should be covered. Check with your insurance provider that your condition and chosen consultant’s fees are covered as you may have to pay an excess or shortfall, and obtain pre-authorisation before booking. Your insurance provider will likely require a GP referral too.

If you need any help with the process, our team is always on hand. Please call 020 7467 4344.

Do I need a GP referral?

You do not need to have a GP referral for a specialist hip health check, although it would be useful to have one.

How long will the health check take?

Including registration, consultation, x-ray and follow-up, you should allow two hours for the health check.

What happens during a hip health check?

Following registration, you will have an initial consultation with one of our consultant hip specialists who will ask you about your symptoms and perform a full examination of the hip joint.

Following an x-ray of the hip, you will have a further consultation with the specialist who will discuss the findings of the examination and x-ray and the options to further address your symptoms, which may include physiotherapy, orthotics, further imaging, injections or surgery.

If further consultations, investigations or procedures are necessary, these can be planned for on the day or at your convivence.

In what instance might I need a MRI scan?

In most cases, the diagnosis will be clear from a combination of assessment of symptoms, examination findings and x-rays.

An MRI can be helpful if there is thought to be a soft tissue injury – often this is in younger patients with sports injuries – or if there is some doubt as to whether the pain you have is coming from the hip or from elsewhere (commonly the spine).

If needed, we can often organise an MRI on the day but you may sometimes need to come back if a slot is not available. This would be charged separately from the health check package.

Do I need to prepare for a hip health check?

There is no specific preparation you need to make: however, it is helpful if you try to be mindful of the symptoms that you have – what brings on your hip pain and relieves it, or any activities which you find particularly difficult – so that you can give a clear picture to the consultant when you see them.

If you have any x-rays, scans or letters from elsewhere, it can be helpful to bring them along.

If you have had x-rays or scans, it is good to let us know when and where you had them at the time that you book, as we can often get them transferred over to our system and this can give us more information to avoid repeating investigations.

What do I wear for a hip health check?

You will be examined as part of the health check and so it can be helpful to avoid wearing lots of layers: some people prefer to wear or bring a pair of shorts. If not, we can provide you with a gown during your physical assessment.

If I need an operation, will it be done by the consultant who sees me?

Yes, absolutely. Self-funding your treatment enables you to be seen by the same specialist from your very first meeting, to your operation, to your follow up consultation. It is still your choice, and there is no obligation to see the same consultant, but you should be aware that if you choose to see another specialist, they will require you to have an initial consultation prior to any surgery.

Please note: If you need urgent surgical intervention, you may be offered the next available appropriate consultant. Don’t worry, you will be given ample time to meet him or her pre-operatively.