What kind of guarantee should I expect?

If you are self paying, you should ensure that the price you are quoted following your consultation at the hospital is the price you will pay for the agreed treatment - even if your stay needs to be longer than planned for any clinical reason. You should also check that the price guarantee applies to any tests or treatment for any complication related to your original procedure within a set number of days of discharge from the hospital.

As a private paying customer, patients should expect a guaranteed hospital admission date, consultant surgeon, clinical staff, medical equipment and first class facilities, all of which should meet quality standards. You should expect the certainty of a guaranteed, inclusive price that has no hidden extras.

Check the provider’s philosophy of care - their commitment to you. A provider’s care philosophy should include a commitment that you will be cared for in a safe environment, that your details will be maintained in confidence, that you can seek a second opinion if you wish and so on. If you feel that these promises are not met, say so.

There are no guarantees regarding the outcome of an operation, and this is especially true for cosmetic surgery where the results vary with each individual and the perceived goal could be very different from the attainable goal. However, one guarantee a patient CAN ask for is that if a complication should arise, the surgeon will correct it without additional fees.