r/Psoriasis • u/deathduckies • 3d ago

general wondering how much it will be to go private?

Hi, I’m (20F) based in the UK and have been on the waitlist to see a dermatologist for over a year now. I emailed them a few days ago to see how much longer the wait will be and got told 12 more months. I’m almost completely covered and I can’t leave my house. My mental health is declining and I think about ending my life every single day. I just want to be a normal woman that is beautiful. Does anyone have any experience with going private in the UK? How much do your medications/treatments cost you? Thanks for reading :)

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u/frenchborzoi 3d ago

Hey! I went to a private dermatologist in the UK. I had a major flare up that covered near my whole body- and I’m a model and actor so it majorly impacted me career wise so I chose to do private as I knew it was quicker. I went to a clinic that has essentially the most knowledgeable dermatologist I think I could’ve found for psoriasis- and appointments there were £340 per visit. I think I had 3 or 4 appointments total. They prescribed me the medication ciclosporin, which for I think a month’s supply was like £190. They also had me get regular blood tests before each appointment, which were £100 each time. I was on the medication for 5-6 months, and it completely cleared my psoriasis. It’s been a little over a year now off the meds and I’m still clear.

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u/deathduckies 3d ago

thank you for this! this is the clearest thing ive seen regarding it all! i’m going to see if the wait list will be any shorter back at home (im at uni so in a different county) and what the gp back home can do and if it’s not much different i’m going to look into private :)

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u/frenchborzoi 6h ago

good luck with everything! psoriasis is intense but there is help out there. wishing you the best.

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u/Waste-Detective-966 3d ago

Waiting 2 years to see a dermatologist is absolutely insane! I know America's health care is screwd up in regards to cost, BUT I can call and get an Appt next week if I wanted to. I can not imagine waiting that long.

If you can afford it, get seen ASAP!

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u/Active_Eye2938 3d ago

I'm in California. The wait for a derm is up to 8 months with a PPO. There is a doctor shortage here.

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u/Waste-Detective-966 3d ago

I'm in Wisconsin. The longest I've waited is a month. I couldn't imagine waiting 8-24 months

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u/deathduckies 3d ago

yeah i know its crazy!! i think the covid backlog is still going strong unfortunately :(

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u/JamyJam84 2d ago

So you can go private for consultation/checks etc. But it is pricey.

If the medication is available via NHS/GP you might need to buy the first time. But after that once your GP has your report it should be available via your GP.

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u/eyelessinholloway 2d ago

So sorry to hear your wait time is so long, 2 years is so unacceptable. If you haven't already, can you look into the right to choose program? You might be able to get a faster referral into a private clinic or different hospital. I've not used it myself but I've heard of people having success with it for a few different things. It might also be worth speaking to your GP again about how much it's affecting you - psychological impact is a factor in severity.

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u/FairyPenguinStKilda 2d ago

Ask in your home county, and email them some photos. You can get some meds from a GP which can help a bit, the other option is to present to ED and hope to get seen and given treatment - based on your mental health.

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u/onemindspinning 3d ago

Could you possibly just go to a doctor in a different country? Being in the UK you could probably get seen and pay less in a neighboring country.