"Consultant Fees charged for simple dressing"

I had plastic surgery abroad and came back to the UK a few days later. Abroad, when leaving the clinic, a note was handed over to me stating that I would have to have stiches removed ten days later.

Ten days later, I happened to be in the UK. I contacted my health insurance provider; they do not cover plastic surgery but offered to get a quote for me from BMI Princess Margareth Hospital to remove these stitches, £ 200. I accepted over the phone the £ 200 quotation and booked an out-patient appointment at the hospital. The surgeon saw the area, stated that these stitches were actually dissolvable stitches, and that they would not have to perform any surgical procedure whatsoever. The consultant directed a nurse to treat the area and make a simple dressing. I paid the nurse for the dressing.

No surgical procedure was performed. The surgeon decided to charge me £ 200 consultant's fees anyway. I complained to the hospital, the hospital finally got the surgeon to lower their fees to £ 150. I paid the £ 150 fees, out of exasperation.

It was as if... you are advised to have a tooth extraction; you book an appointment; upon arrival, the surgeon states that tooth extraction is not necessary but anyway charges you the fees they would charge for performing the extraction! I felt that this attitude was greedy and won't come back.