After your appointment
What happens after your second opinion
You decide what happens next. Nothing is arranged for you without your agreement.
Your written summary
After your appointment, you receive a written summary of the opinion. With your consent, a copy can also be sent to your GP, so that whoever you choose to see next has a clear record of what was discussed and found.
Then, it is your decision
A second opinion is exactly that: an opinion. What you do with it is entirely up to you. Depending on what your appointment finds, there are three broad paths, and none of them is assumed in advance.
Professor Lee can help you himself
Where that is appropriate, and you want him to, that can include revision surgery or other treatment he provides.
He can refer you on
Where someone else is better placed to help, whether for a specific technique, a different specialty, or your own preference.
You may continue with your original plan
A second opinion that confirms the advice you already had is a good, useful outcome, not a wasted appointment.
01 / Your next steps
Telling your existing team
Whether and when you tell your current GP or consultant that you have had a second opinion is your choice. Many patients do, especially where a copy of the summary is being shared with their GP anyway; some prefer to decide their next step first. There is no obligation either way.
02 / Your next steps
If you decide to go further
What treatment involves, where it takes place, and its cost are discussed with you directly at the relevant appointment, once a plan is agreed. This page is deliberately general because that detail depends entirely on what your specific situation turns out to need.
Confirm
Continue your existing plan.
Consider
Discuss another approach.
Clarify
Gather more information.
The next step is agreed with you, not assumed in advance.
03 / Your next steps
If the two opinions agree
Agreement can still be useful. You may leave with a clearer explanation of the diagnosis, a better understanding of why the proposed treatment is appropriate, or a more focused set of questions for the team who will carry it out. There is no requirement for a second opinion to recommend something different to have value.
04 / Your next steps
If the advice is different
Try to identify the reason for the difference rather than treating it as a simple vote between two doctors. The opinions may place different emphasis on your symptoms, the imaging, your goals or the balance of benefits and risks. Ask what evidence supports the recommendation and what remains uncertain.
Take time to read the written summary and, if you wish, discuss it with your existing consultant. A further conversation may help you understand whether the difference concerns the diagnosis, the timing of treatment or the treatment itself.
05 / Your next steps
If more information is needed
Sometimes there is not enough information to give a firm recommendation at the first visit. Missing operation records, earlier scans or a further investigation may be relevant. Ask what is needed, who will arrange it and whether another appointment would be required. Any additional tests or treatment are separate from the second-opinion consultation.
Second Opinion Clinic
Talk through your next step.
£400 · 45 minutes · Monthly clinic sessions
Confirm the next clinic date, location and available slot when booking.