Your initial assessment with Mr Nirav Shah is an opportunity to discuss your symptoms with an expert. You’ll receive a diagnosis and Mr Shah’s recommended treatment options.
If further scans are needed to confirm your diagnosis, we’ll arrange these along with a follow-up consultation.
1. Arriving for your appointment
You’ll receive a warm welcome from our team at Goring Hall Hospital when you arrive for your appointment. We’ll give you a short questionnaire to complete in the waiting room, which will include some questions about your general health, your contact details and your GP’s name and address. You’ll also receive a copy of our privacy policy to read and sign.
Your consultation will cost between £180 and £350 depending on the complexity of your case and the length of your appointment. X-rays and scans will be charged for separately.
If you have health insurance, please bring your pre-authorisation number to your consultation. If you’re paying for your treatment, you don’t need to wait for a referral letter from your GP.
2. Examination with Mr Shah
Mr Shah will welcome you into his office where he’ll ask you about your symptoms, before carrying out a comprehensive examination. You may need to remove some clothes so that Mr Shah can properly assess your affected joint and/or soft tissues. A nurse will be present throughout your examination.
Depending on your symptoms, Mr Shah will check your range of movement, compare your joints and evaluate your foot function and circulation. To minimise any potential discomfort, he’ll only do what is strictly necessary to diagnose your condition.
“My first appointment with Mr Shah was such a relief. He took time listening to my problem and was the first person I had seen who acknowledged the pain I had been experiencing and gave me hope that he could rectify my situation.”
3. X-rays, MRI and CT scans
If you have recent X-rays, please contact us a few days before your appointment, so we can request electronic copies from the hospital. Otherwise, Mr Shah will send you to have new X-rays taken at Goring Hall Hospital during your consultation.
Mr Shah will review your X-rays and go through his initial findings with you at your appointment. If there’s a need for further investigations, these could include an MRI or CT scan. If required, these can usually be carried out within the next week at Goring Hall Hospital.
4. Treatment options
If there’s no need for further diagnostics or a follow-up appointment, Mr Shah will present your treatment options to you. If you would benefit from a cortisone injection, this can sometimes be provided at your consultation.
You’ll have as much time as you need to consider your options. Mr Shah will write to you and your GP with his recommendations. If you decide that you want to proceed, we’ll prepare the paperwork for your treatment straight away. You’ll receive a date for your procedure within the next few days.
5. What happens next
If you need surgery, we’ll aim to schedule your operation within a month on your chosen date. If your symptoms are severe, we’ll try to fit you in sooner.
Before your operation, Mr Shah will go through all the pros and cons of surgery and ask you to complete a health screening questionnaire. Your next appointment will be a pre-operative assessment, which will take place a week or two before your operation.
If you’d like to arrange a consultation with Mr Shah, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr Shah’s secretary.
