Arranging private medical care for a principal

What an assistant can arrange

An assistant can arrange the logistics of care, and the principal decides about the care itself. In practice that means finding a time, arranging travel and access, sending what the clinic needs to prepare, and settling the invoice.

The doctor still speaks with the principal directly. Principles agreed by UK healthcare regulators ask professionals to establish a dialogue with the patient and to obtain informed consent [1].

Consent and what you will be told

Agree at the start, in writing, what the principal is happy for you to know. Information about health is special category data under UK data protection law, which may be used only when extra conditions are met [2], so a clinic shares clinical details with an assistant only when the principal has said it may.

Many principals choose a simple division, with the assistant handling times, places, travel and invoices and the results going to the principal alone. If you ask for copies of records on the principal’s behalf, the clinic will want proof of permission, such as written authority or a power of attorney, and can decline if it is not satisfied [3].

An assistant cannot consent to treatment for a principal. The law assumes an adult has capacity to make their own decisions unless it is established otherwise [4], and a health and welfare lasting power of attorney can be used only when the person is unable to make their own decisions [5].

One channel, and checking every unusual request

Route every request through one channel that the principal and the clinic both know, so nothing is arranged twice or missed. A single thread, with the principal copied on decisions, keeps a clear record of what was agreed.

Appointments and invoices attract impersonation. The National Cyber Security Centre advises confirming important email requests through a second type of communication, such as a phone call, and sharing files through an access-controlled account in place of email attachments [6]. Agree with the clinic how a change of plan or of payment details would reach you, and treat any other route with suspicion.

What to have ready

Have these ready when you first make contact. A private clinic needs only a name, a date of birth, a telephone number and the address where the principal is staying, which can be a hotel [7].

• The principal’s written agreement on what you may arrange and what you may be told
• Their full name and date of birth, with a telephone number the doctor can call directly
• The dates of the stay and the address where they will be
• Any interpreter or access needs, and any security arrangements
• A list of current medicines and allergies, sent by a secure route if the principal agrees
• The name and address the invoice should carry
• The principal’s own doctor, if letters should go there as well

When the principal is travelling

Travel adds medicines and time zones to the plan. The principal should carry enough medicine for the whole trip and several days more in hand luggage, with a doctor’s letter that lists each medicine by generic name and dose [8].

For a principal with a long-term condition, the CDC advises planning with their doctors 4 to 6 weeks before departure, which leaves time to prepare [8]. Put that appointment in the diary when the trip is confirmed, alongside the flights.

Who this suits

This way of working suits principals who want care arranged around a full diary and value one point of contact. It suits private and family offices as well, where several people may each have an assistant and one shared channel keeps everyone aligned.

It is not a route for an emergency. If the principal is seriously unwell, call 999 in the UK or the local emergency number first, then tell the clinic [7].

How The Wellness can help

An executive physical is £2,995, a full day with one physician, with advanced bloodwork, an ECG and body composition, results reviewed the same day and a written plan. A doctor can also come to wherever the principal is staying or working in London, and before the visit the desk confirms who the doctor is and what it costs [9].

On Platinum membership, a named physician and a personal concierge arrange appointments, tests, scans and specialists for the principal [10]. Every doctor is GMC registered, our clinics are on Baker Street in Marylebone and Eccleston Street in Belgravia, and appointments can be arranged with partners in 12 more cities.