How to choose a Top Gynaecologist
Almost all women will find themselves needing to visit a gynaecologist at some point during their life, either because they are going for a regular check-up, or because they have a particular women’s health problem which they think requires medical attention. But, with a large number of consultants available in the city, deciding which top gynaecologist is best for you can seem rather overwhelming. Read more to understand the key factors you should take into account when deciding which private gynaecologist is right for you.
Relationship to you
Women’s health issues are often a sensitive matter and some patients may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed when talking about their specific problems. To help overcome these feelings, it’s wise to find a consultant with whom you can build a good rapport with and one who you feel confident confiding with regarding your personal issues. As such, your gynaecologist should be approachable, accessible and someone with whom you can develop a good relationship over time.
Professional experience
Taking care of our health is important, which is why most people will want to guarantee that the treatment they are going to receive is of high quality. As such, professional experience is a key factor to consider when choosing your consultant gynaecologist.
Things to look out for include the doctor’s seniority and how many years they’ve been working in the job. This is particularly relevant if you are being seen by a specialist within a certain area of expertise, as you’ll want to ensure they are the best person to deal with that particular health condition.
You can also find out which hospitals, medical practices and clinics the consultant have worked at throughout their career and do some further research as to how well these clinics have performed and the overall patient satisfaction.
Areas of specialism
All UK gynaecologists undergo the same basic training, after which some will go on to continue their training in special areas of interest and the associated surgical skills. If your doctor suspects or knows that you have a certain gynaecological condition, they may refer you to a specialist in that particular area. For example, women with suspected endometriosis may be referred to a consultant gynaecologist with expertise in the disease, including carrying out the surgical diagnosis procedures like laparoscopy.
Patients will want to ensure they are receiving the best treatment, which is why it’s important to ask the right questions and check that the specialist is the right person to treat you. If surgery is necessary, you can ask specific questions like how many surgical procedures they carry out each year and what their patient success rate and rate of possible complications are.
Patient testimonies
Patients are welcome to choose which gynaecologist they see, ensuring that the medical professional treating them is someone they are happy with. Thanks to the internet, there are now many more ways to decide whether the gynaecologist is right for you.
Popular forums like Mumsnet, NappyValley and treatment or condition-specific forums provides an easy, free way to ask real people questions about specific consultants or private clinics, meaning you get advice and recommendations from other women who have been through or are experiencing the same problems as you.
Similarly, there are plenty of healthcare review sites, online patient testimonies and now Google My Business, which allows patients to read and assess other local people’s experiences of a certain clinic or specific gynaecologist. However, people need to be cautious of online reviews and patient testimonies, as they can essentially be written by anyone and it is, therefore, a good idea to seek advice from multiple sources before deciding which clinic to visit.
Language preferences
Undergoing medical treatment can be daunting, so it’s understandable that you’ll want to feel as comfortable as possible, which is why it is certainly worthwhile to find out whether there is a consultant in your area who speaks your mother tongue, particularly if English is not your first language.
Likewise, if you only require a translator for difficult medical jargon, there are many London clinics which can arrange that for you, though you’ll need to give them a reasonable amount of notice so that they can locate a suitable person for the job.
Choosing your top gynaecologist
London Women’s Centre has two of the UK’s leading consultant gynaecologists, with many years of experience and several areas of specialism. We have a glowing reputation amongst patients and industry bodies and seek to ensure patients feel as comfortable as possible during consultation, treatment and after-care.