A Teesside clinic which bridges the gap between the NHS and private healthcare is looking to expand and find new ways of serving the local community, as waiting lists for treatment on the NHS continue to grow.
Consultants Choice Clinic, based at Surtees Business Park Stockton, is looking to appoint more staff and consultants in the coming months, building on the 30 consultants it already has serving patients across more than 10 speciality areas.
The private healthcare company, set up by Hailey Dobbs, is based on the belief that everyone deserves timely access to trusted medical advice and treatment and that affordability shouldn’t be a barrier to excellent care.
Hailey is also keen to get involved with health education in schools and providing bespoke services for patients with learning difficulties and neurodivergent people.
Hailey says: “Since we started the business last year, it has grown from 20 consultants this time last year to around 30 consultants – and we now have our top of the range ultrasound scanner and specialist sonographers.
“This has enabled us to offer and MSK [musculoskeletal] service, where you can be seen scanned and receive injections for your MSK condition in one place on the same day.
“We’ve also started doing an outreach NHS service for Woodlands Hospital, so you can be seen here if you’re choosing to be seen under the Woodlands Choose and Book system.”
Hailey believes access to healthcare services like Consultants Choice are “vital” at the present time, with waiting lists for many specialist services on the NHS spiralling.
In October, it was widely reported that NHS waiting lists had risen for the third month in a row, despite the fact reducing waiting times is a priority for the current Government.
Hailey says: “There is more demand than ever, as people are aware that the NHS is struggling with long waiting times and people do want to be seen more quickly – and we offer an affordable solution.
“Where we differ from the NHS is that patients have one point of contact within one administrative team for all their healthcare needs.
“If you need to be seen at a hospital one of our consultants also works at, you can still arrange that through our team, as we look after all our consultants’ lists and diaries, waiting times and billing.”
These things are all key to Consultants Choice Clinic’s success, as well as the fact that their healthcare services are more affordable than private hospital costs.
Hailey says: “I think there’s always been a place for private healthcare as it provides people with another option if they know they can be seen more quickly than they would be waiting on the NHS.
“We offer patients a choice in the same way as the private sector within any industry.
“People are choosing private healthcare more and more because of the waiting times on the NHS and although we are not free, we provide an alternative which sits somewhere in the middle between NHS care and traditional private healthcare.”
Hailey admits the business has spotted a “gap in the market” for people who are unable to afford private treatment but need to be seen more quickly with a smaller budget – something the patients involved are extremely grateful for.
The clinic has amassed some excellent feedback from patients, who talk about the friendly staff and the fact they are treated as an individual.
Hailey is very selective of the consultants, based on their patient facing skills and ability to see the patient as an individual.
Dermatology, gynaecology and musculoskeletal services, which the clinic provides, are typical examples of specialities where there are currently long waiting lists on the NHS.
“In dermatology, there are currently long waiting times and that mole on your body could have completely changed before you are seen,” says Hailey.
“What we can offer here is that fast, affordable turnaround.
“Patients can call us, email us or go on the website and book in, and they will be seen a lot more quickly than they would on the NHS.”
Hailey is driven by her own and her family’s experience of the NHS – and the fact she used to work as a funeral director, which have given her an understanding of the need to treat people with dignity.
“People deserve to be validated in their feelings, listened to and made to feel like a human being,” she says.
“Sometimes, when patients are on the phone, they need to vent and show their frustrations and because of all my training in past jobs and my empathy for people, I understand that.
“That’s why I enjoy doing what I do.
“It’s all about being able to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Hailey says the clinic is keen to grow to offer more services and is looking at investing in X-Rays, MRI scanners and more sites, but the emphasis is on maintaining a “platinum service” for patients.
“We do want to expand, but above all else, we want to deliver a safe service, so we are taking it day by day and year by year,” Hailey says.
“But in the near future, you will see more sites from Consultants Choice Clinic.”
Hailey is keen to get feedback from the community to enable Consultants Choice to provide the services local people require.
“We would like feedback from patients and community groups around what the local community is missing when it comes to healthcare and what we can provide,” she says.
“We want to work with the community as much as possible.”
For more information on Consultants Choice Clinic, visit www.consultantschoice.co.uk