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Seeking help for a medical condition can be a vulnerable process. Suffering concerning symptoms of any kind is by no means fun, but often it can feel much harder to bring those concerns to a doctor or GP. Particularly when booking GP appointments has gotten notoriously difficult in recent years.
It is all the worse, then, when you find your concerns aren’t adequately met by the doctor you do eventually see. Medical misdiagnosis is an unfortunate reality of medicine, despite the world-leading qualities of the NHS as a national institution. Not only this, but the likelihood of suffering negligent care in seeking help only increases with increased pressure on staff and facilities.
It’s an unfortunate situation all round, but one which renders all the more clearly how important it is to be a self-advocate. If you don’t feel you’ve gotten the answers you deserve, you need to be able to seek a second opinion. But when, and how, should you do that?
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How To Seek A Second Opinion
1. Understanding When to Seek a Second Opinion
The term ‘second opinion’ will be a familiar one to frequent watchers of medical procedural dramas. However, it is not a concept limited to television – or, indeed, to the American healthcare system. It is your right as a patient seeking care to pursue a second opinion in order to confirm your suspicions. And it is the NHS’ responsibility to deliver you the best possible healthcare outcomes while you’re in its care.
Picking the right time to request a second opinion might be more difficult to know. After all, most flus really are just flus. When the stakes are higher, though – such as when your family has a history of a sometimes-fatal disease like cancer, or when you’re approaching the possibility of undergoing a risky surgical procedure – you would naturally be incentivised to ensure the path you’re taking is the right one.
2. How to Request a Second Opinion
Typically, your GP will refer you to a consultant in order to get to the bottom of a specific condition. Your concerns about not being properly heard could stem from the results of this process. As such, your first step would be to book an additional appointment with your GP, in order to voice your concerns. From here, your GP would have to agree to re-refer you to a new consultant. Who definitely would be made aware of their position as second opinion.
3. What to Do After Receiving a Second Opinion
While receiving your second opinion, you may benefit from alerting your first consultant to your second-opinion efforts. Particularly if they are waiting for confirmation to start a treatment process with you. After obtaining your second opinion, you’ll have the opportunity to compare advice and treatment plans from both, and make an informed judgement going forward.
In some cases, the second opinion may be a worse prognosis than the first. Indeed, it could even illustrate prior failures to catch and cure your condition. In such cases (such as with cancer, where rapid progression can reduce your treatment options and even reduce life expectancy), your next step might well be to look into making cancer misdiagnosis claims.
With the right situations, and with the right supporting evidence, you may be able to go to civil court over the handling of your condition. And justify the necessity to get a second opinion. In these instances, compensation would cover emotional distress as well as lost earnings. Plus they could also cover increased living costs in relation to your condition.