Link to the PHIN - Private Healthcare information network. This is a government created independent and impartial website providing information about private hospitals and consultants in the UK
The CMA Order 2014 - Comes into force 1st September 2016 & 1st December 2016
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/private-healthcare-market-investigation
22. Information concerning consultants supplied to the information organisation and to private patients
22.1 Consultants providing private healthcare services shall provide to the information organisation, from a date no later than 1 December 2016, the following information in accordance with a format provided by the information organisation and shall keep such information up to date:
(a) outpatient consultation fees, which may be expressed as either a fixed fee or an hourly rate;
(b) the standard procedure fee for the 50 types of procedure most frequently undertaken by the consultant; and
(c) standard terms and conditions, plus any exclusions or caveats, expressed in a standard form as determined by the information organisation.
22.3 Consultants must supply the following information to a patient prior to an outpatient consultation:
(a) the estimated cost of the outpatient consultation or consultations, which may be expressed as a range, so long as the factors which will determine the actual cost within the range are explained;
(b) details of financial interests of any kind, which the consultant has in the medical facilities and equipment used at the premises;
(c) a list of all insurers which recognise the consultant;
(d) a statement that insured patients should check with their insurer the terms of their policy, with particular reference to the level and type of outpatient cover they have; and
(e) the website address of the information organisation, and a statement in standard wording as agreed with the information organisation indicating that this website will give patients useful information on the quality of performance of hospitals and consultants.
22.4 The following information must be disclosed by a consultant to a patient prior to further tests or treatment:
(a) the reason for the relevant further tests or treatment;
(b) an estimate of the cumulative consultant cost of the treatment pathway which has been recommended. This should either include all consultant fees that will be charged separately from the hospital fee, or should include contact details for any other consultants whose fees are not included in the quote or, where applicable for self-pay patients, the total package price for treatment, where the consultant has agreed this with the operator of the relevant private healthcare facility;
(c) a statement of any services which have not been included in the estimate, such as those resulting from unforeseeable complications. Where alterna-tive treatments are available but the appropriate treatment can only be decided during surgery, the estimate should set out the relevant options and associated fees; and
(d) the website address of the information organisation, and a statement in standard wording as agreed with the information organisation indicating that this website will give patients useful information on the quality of performance of hospitals and consultants.