I have had bad right flank pain for 10 weeks, moderate right flank on and off for 10 months

Monday I had my cholecystectomy

apologies for longish text, just need to get full detail down

I met with two consultants on private medical recently. The 2nd doctor (Dr A.) took swift action and with issue of HIDA scan, established I had diseased gallbladder with 12% ejection fraction

Now, the first consultant I met with (who I had seen previously on two occasions this year for liver check ups), took the attitude and I quote 'I am a thorn in his side', his exact words to me when examining me for my chronic right flank pains, nausea etc

at the time because I was so spaced out I did not think too much about it, but then he seemed to get frustrated, not bothered to do anything about my diagnosis. He said 'we can do a thousand tests, but...' he then stopped himself in sentence, kind of put his head in his hands. I did not want to to do a 1000 tests, only one would have sufficed

essentially the vibe of the consultation was strained, he seemed to get very stressed and annoyed with me. Like I was just this pain in the rear, and I got the feeling he would have been happy if I just left him alone

with hindsight I should have demanded a HIDA scan there and then.

cutting long story short I side stepped this 1st doctor, found a specialist in gallbladders (Dr A.) at same private hospital who took immediate action. Trouble is I was referred to first doctor (Dr S.) from my surgeon who took polyp out from my colon last December

this first doctor's attitude cost me 4 weeks delay in getting diagnosis, operation. I realise in NHS world this time scale is nothing, but this is private medicine that I am paying for

1st doctors bills have arrived in now. I feel like writing to him and saying look, your inaction cost me weeks of delays, and 100s of extra pounds.

I want to say to him he can have his money, say half first, but does not get rest until I get an apology from him for his attitude toward me. This doctor is on 200k per annum, no problem with that, but his attitude was at the time unacceptable and referring to me as a thorn in his side was totally unwarranted in my opinion

if you were in my situation would you write to him as I want to and complain?

ok, we all have bad days, but this is private medicine. I had only seen him twice before for different reasons, routine MRI on liver. I did present all my symptoms to him clearly for right side pains, and my GP conducted a positive Murphy's sign test on my gallbladder which this first doctor totally ignored. This was put in writing to him from my GP, asking for swift action. I was losing weight terribly fast too, nausea, headaches, right shoulder pains, right back pains. Nausea after eating fatty foods. This Dr S.'s response was to suggest it was some kind of muscular/skeletal problem

His impertinence and lack of willingness to carry out tests I think would have bothered most people

I have no need to see this Dr S. ever again. I would not trust him now with a knife and fork, let alone a scalpel

if you say don't bother, move on, then that is fine advice, but please no heavy negative replies, I only had operation Monday, I am already very bruised

It’s challenging in that you’re likely to be reliant upon the complaints process of the provider. As that provider was not the NHS you’d be best doing some research on their process and then engaging with that.

In some respects though they key thing is that even when paying to go private you’re first and foremost paying for the opinions of a qualified person. Difference in clinical opinion and preferences in investigation and treatment aren’t just confined to the NHS and above all else, if a clinician does not feel that a certain test or procedure is in the patient’s best interest then they’re unlikely to sign for it regardless of who is picking up the tab.

There’s no immediate rush to do anything I shouldn’t think so concentrate first of all on your recovery and do some research later.

I’d take very well considered and qualified advice before withholding payment too.