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International patients

We welcome International Patients from foreign embassies and international insurers as well as patients choosing to pay for their own treatment in the UK.

What help do we offer our international patients?

International patients from around the world are supported by our highly trained Patient Coordinators in our International Patient Centre. Our dedicated team are here to support our International Patients and their families with personalised care and treatment plans. They are a welcoming team to ensure you are looked after and supported while recovering with us.

We are able to assist International Patients with accommodation, local travel arrangements, interpreting services, rapid access to medical appointments and hospital admission for all our hospitals and treatment centres across the UK. This assistance is available whether you are in the UK or your home country, before and after your treatment.

Insured patients

We understand that it can be a challenge to navigate the UK’s healthcare system. But our dedicated helpline for patients with international private medical insurance is here to help.  

Our international insurance helpline can be contacted on: +44 (0)800 096 2986

Which international insurers do we work with?

We collaborate with global private medical insurers, including Allianz Worldwide Care Limited and Healthcare International Global to support patients that have international private medical insurance throughout their healthcare journey.  

If you would like to receive treatment at one of our hospitals, you can recommend BMI Healthcare to your insurer which will allow you to be added to their hospital list. 

However, if we do not work with your insurer and they are not listed below in our “Insurers’ contact details” section, our team will speak to you about alternative options. This could include signing an agreement to help you access treatment from our hospitals. 

How does it work? 

To get started, you can contact our international insurance helpline by calling us on +44 (0)800 096 2986. Alternatively, if you decide to contact our national enquiry centre (NEC) through the number at the top of our website, a member of our team will direct you to our international department.  

Prior to booking your consultation, our international team will ask you to share your up-to-date medical records including any recent diagnostic tests or procedures that you have had. You will also be asked to submit a referral letter from your GP or a family doctor. However, if you do not have a referral letter, our team will work with your insurer to organise an appointment with a GP or a family doctor. They will then assess your symptoms and if needed, provide you with a referral to see a specialist. 

It is important that your medical records and referral letter are both available in English. These documents will be shared with your chosen hospital through their outpatient email address. When booking your consultation, you will have the opportunity to choose between more than 50 of our hospitals across the UK where you can expect to receive fast access to high-quality care from our specialists.  

If you would like to speak to a specific Consultant at one of our hospitals, our team will email your medical records and referral letter to the Consultant or their medical secretary. 

Once these documents have been received by your chosen hospital or Consultant, a member of our team will get in touch with you regarding available appointments.

How could you benefit from having treatment with us? 

Our international team will work with your insurer to provide the following services:  

  • Appointment with a GP/family doctor or allied health professional
  • Appointment with an appropriate specialist consultant
  • Arrange hospital admission
  • Assist with pre-authorisation process
  • Liaise with consultants regarding billing and any other issues
  • Bespoke case management for complex, high acuity admissions via a dedicated ‘case manager’ contact
  • Complementary interpretation during consultations
  • Option to choose from over 50 Circle Health/ BMI hospitals 

We assign a dedicated case manager to more complex, high acuity admissions. This refers to patients who are acutely ill or are at risk of experiencing deteriorating health.  

As well as providing interpretation services and working with your insurer to share required documentation, we offer additional support by helping you book your accommodation and arranging any local travel.  

Embassy patients

We treat patients from all foreign embassies and government ministries, in particular from the Middle East and North Africa.

Our Embassy Appointment Line is an exclusive, centralised appointment service based in London and provides a direct outpatient and inpatient booking service with any of our 7,000 Consultant Specialists, or directly into one of our intensive care units ITU for those requiring immediate 'critical care' attention.

Our Embassy Appointment Line:
+44 (0)20 7780 2525
+44 (0)20 8872 3936

Our international team’s onsite availability 

Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm 

Outside of these hours our International team can be contacted via video appointments. On weekdays, video appointments are also available from Monday to Friday from 8pm to 8am, and Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.  

Please contact us on our Embassay Appointment Line. 

How can our Embassy Appointment Line support your needs?  

As well as delivering personalised treatment plans and Consultant-led care across our network of hospitals, we provide many different services to help support your needs. These include: 

  • Free meals for your relatives (the embassy will not charge for this)
  • Free airport pickup and drop-off
  • Help with booking your accommodation and appointments, and;
  • Interpretation services to support you throughout your treatment with us
  • Regular updates to your sponsor embassay
When are you eligible for help?  

Our team are here to help and support you from the moment you contact our team while still residing in your home country. We will continue to assist and support you even after you have finished your treatment and have returned to your home country.  

Your embassy sponsor will also be kept up to date with your medical reports (if you have consented to this) to avoid delays to your treatment.  

What information could we require from you?  

Medical information
In some cases we will require an up-to-date medical report, with details of the patient's present condition, recent medical history, provisional diagnosis and the treatment or investigations  expected to be required.

The medical report must:

  • Clearly identify the patient
  • Be less than one month old
  • Be written in English

Self pay patients

Patients seeking internationally renowned clinical expertise in the United Kingdom and fast access to pioneering treatment, are able to self-refer and fund their own care.

BMI Healthcare offer significant added value to such patients, including complimentary interpreters and concierge services. As the largest hospital group in the UK, economies of scale mean we are able to offer highly competitive pricing, including packages, across a range of specialties and with consultants of patients' choice.

From cosmetic procedures and routine surgery, to complex treatment for critically ill patients, overseas patients can access our specialists and hospitals simply by contacting our International Patient Centre.

Self pay patient pathway

  1. Patient: Contact BMI's International Patient Centre
    Tel: +44 (0)20 7780 2525 / +44 (0)20 8872 3936
    Fax: +44 (0)20 7265 8634
    Email: [email protected]
  2. Patient: Send any available clinical information, eg medical report, doctor's letter or test results
  3. BMI: Review referral details and obtain consultant input (free of charge) if required
  4. BMI: Quote sent to patient
  5. BMI/patient: Deposit for estimated cost of treatment taken by phone or made online
  6. BMI: Confirmation of appointment sent to patient which can used to obtain visa letter
  7. BMI: Complementary interpretation during consultations
  8. Patient: Attend first appointment and further arrangements made for onward diagnostics/treatment
  9. BMI: In the event of overpayment, the remaining balance from the deposit will be refunded to the patient following discharge
  10. Patient/BMI: In the event of treatment exceeding the initial deposit, payment will be taken for the shortfall upon discharge

Package prices

BMI Healthcare is able to provide a range of hospital-only package prices for routine procedures. These packages include all the normal investigations and procedures for a particular operation, for a fixed length of stay.

Prosthesis is usually excluded from the package as this can vary in price depending on the individual needs of the patient and consultant recommendation.

 

BMI's flagship hospitals in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow regularly receive urgent referrals for critically ill patients at the very highest levels of complexity, including international emergency medical evacuations and transfers from hospitals around the world.

As an experienced provider of acute direct admission services, our team is able to mobilise multiple specialist Consultants and hospital critical care teams at short notice and respond to the demands associated with this type of referral.

Our International Patient Centre provides bespoke case management for such referrals, whether government sponsored, insured or self-pay. We work closely with all major air ambulance providers and ground services to ensure a streamlined journey into our critical care units.

Our Level 3 intensive care units are equipped with the latest isolation pods to safely accommodate patients of potential infection risk and our units are run by a 24/7 team of Specialist Intensive Care Consultants.

We are able to accept direct admissions for patients across a number of areas, including:

- Patients who have experienced trauma (e.g. road traffic accidents, injuries from conflict and workplace accidents)
- Neuro-compromised patients
- Cardiac patients
- Complex medical patients (including renal failure)
- Weaning off mechanical ventilation

We work with all major international insurers and continuously develop new relationships in the market to ensure global access to our hospitals for patients, wherever they are in the world. Patients wishing to be seen at BMI can contact their insurers on the details below;

AIG Europe
+40 20 7954 7000

Allianz Global Assistance (UK)
+44 20 8686 1666

Allianz Worldwide Care Limited
+353 1 645 4050
+32 2 2146111

AP Companies
+7 495 989 11 20

Aria Assistance
+44 208 865 1640

AXA Assistance
+49 89 500700

AXA Assistance USA
+1 305 893 5151

Cega Group Services
+44 1243 621 000

CMN (Global Benefits Group)
+1 905 669 4333

Cultural Insurance
+1 855 327 1411

Daman Health Insurance Qatar
+974 4016 0333

David Shield
+1 800 34 34 35

Europ Assistance Spain
+34 902 19 77 91

Healthcare International Global
+44 20 7590 8800

Henner GMC
+33 1 55 62 96 13

HTH Worldwide
+1 610 254 8769

International SOS
+44 20 8762 8008

Neuron LLC
+971 4 388 6374

Preferred Health Care Ltd
+44 0345 890 1260

Q Life and Medical Insurance Company
+974 4453 3666

Sevencorners
+1 317 818 2808

Smart
+44 20 7 183 5515

United Healthcare Global
+1 763 274 7362

(Reverse charges accepted)*

Our insured patients benefit from access to the largest network of private hospitals in the UK, ensuring a streamlined pathway, continuity of care, cost control and a smoother case management process.

* To access an international reverse charge number you need to dial the UK's international operator, dialling 155, to be connected.

London 
BMI Bishops Wood Hospital
BMI The Clementine Churchill Hospital 
BMI The London Independent Hospital
BMI The Blackheath Hospital

Glasgow
BMI Ross Hall Hospital 

Manchester 
BMI The Alexandra Hospital

Birmingham
BMI The Priory Hospital 
Circle Rehabilitation 

Hampshire
BMI The Hampshire Clinic

Berkshire
Circle Reading

Many of our hospitals treat spinal patients for conditions, from minor routine surgery to complex spinal deformity surgery. Our spinal units are led by internationally renowned Consultants and offer access to specialist expertise, including Spinal Nurses, Spinal Radiologists, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists.

We offer treatment on the following common conditions of the spine:
- Degenerative disc disease
- Deformity and minimal access treatment of degenerative disorders
- Herniated disc
- Kyphosis
- Neuropathic pain
- Scoliosis
- Sciatica
- Spinal disc prolapse
- Spondylolisthesis
- Sports injuries

As the UK’s largest private hospital group, BMI Healthcare offers access to specialist facilities with significant experience in treating spinal conditions. Surgeries offered across our sites include:
- Adolescent scoliosis fusions
- Adult degenerative scoliosis fusions
- Balloon kyphoplasty
- Caudal epidural injections
- Cervical corpectomy
- Cervical fusions
- Facet joint injections
- Interspinous spacers
- Microdiscectomy
- Nerve root blocks
- Revision fusions
- Spinal decompression
- Spinal fusions
- O-arm® technology

As part of our spinal service at BMI Healthcare, our multi-disciplinary teams meet regularly to discuss individual cases and optimise patient outcomes, working together to provide quality and continuity to patient care.

All of our hospitals work with extensive groups of orthopaedic experts who offer rapid diagnosis, effective treatment and management of both common and complex orthopaedic conditions. Led by Consultant Surgeons and Physicians, our multi-disciplinary orthopaedic teams use a combination of medication, exercise, surgery, rehabilitation and alternative therapies to ensure optimal treatment.

Our range of experts include:
- Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Sports Physicians
- Physiotherapists
- Injury Specialists
- Cardiologists
- Interventional Radiologists
- Podiatrists
- Podiatric Surgeons

Some of the orthopaedic procedures offered across our hospitals include:

Upper limb
- Arthroscopic subacromial decompression
- Carpal tunnel syndrome treatment
- Elbow arthroscopy
- Hand surgery for Dupuytren’s disease
- Hand and wrist ligament reconstruction
- Rotator cuff surgery
- Elbow replacement surgery*
- Shoulder arthroplasty
- Shoulder arthroscopy
- Shoulder replacement surgery*
- Trigger finger treatment
- Ulnar nerve release surgery
- Wrist arthroscopy

Lower limb
- ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction surgery
- Ankle surgery
- Bunion surgery
- Computer assisted navigation high tibial osteotomy
- Computer assisted navigation total knee replacement
- Hip debridement surgery
- Hip injection treatment
- Hip resurfacing
- Hip replacement surgery*
- Knee arthroscopy
- Knee injuries
- Knee replacement surgery
- Lower limb reconstruction
- Malunion or Nonunion fracture surgery
- Osteotomy surgery
-Partial and full knee replacement surgery

Across our facilities, teams of experts have access to high-quality equipment to support accurate diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Treatments available include:
- Anti-gravity treadmill for quicker post-surgery rehabilitation
- Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)
- Ilizarov frame application
- Laminar flow theatres for specialist orthopaedic procedures
- Whole body cryotherapy
- Sports injury clinics
- Onsite diagnostics including MRI, CT, X-Ray, ultrasound, DEXA (bone density)
- Rapid recovery programme for hip and knee replacement

BMI Healthcare offers rapid access to advanced oncology treatment and all patients are cared for by experienced Consultant Oncologists and our multidisciplinary support teams.

At our specialist Cancer Care Centres, the delivery of systemic anti-cancer treatment and support therapies are provided by a team of skilled and experienced staff, offering the latest treatments and diagnostics in calm and welcoming environments. Our flagship oncology centre in London, BMI Bishops Wood Hospital, recently underwent a major refurbishment programme and offers dedicated chemotherapy suites.

BMI Cancer Care Centres treat patients for a wide range of cancers including:
- Brain
- Breast
- Colorectal
- Gastrointestinal
- Gynaecological and ovarian
- Haematological malignancies
- Lung
- Prostate
- Skin
- Testicular and urological

Treatments available include:
- Chemotherapy
- Hormonal therapies
- Radiotherapy
- Supportive cancer therapies
- Intraoperative radiation therapy (IOR T)
- Brachytherapy
- Sentinel lymph node detection
- Gamma Knife® treatment

Our experienced nursing teams take pride in offering exceptional levels of patient care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They work closely with the consultant oncologists to provide a holistic approach to patient care.

The multidisciplinary team includes:
- Oncology Chemotherapy Nurses
- Clinical Oncology Pharmacists
- Dietician and Speech Therapists
- Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Medical Nurses
- Oncology Nursing Services Managers
- Palliative Care Consultants and Nurses
- Physiotherapists
- Plastic and Reconstructive Consultants

Our pathology departments are equipped to provide rapid results for blood tests ahead of treatment, providing key guidance for further care. Results are often same day and the team supports our transfusion services and other specialist inputs.

Equipment and facilities
In addition to diagnostic scanning technology (MRI and CT), some patients with breast cancer are suitable to be treated with single dose intraoperative radiotherapy (SD-IOR T). SD-IOR T provides breast surgeons and clinical oncologists with the ability to perform radiotherapy at the time of surgery, which eliminates the need for separate external beam radiotherapy, for up to five weeks post-surgery.

With a number of specialist cardiac centres located across the country, our hospitals are home to some of the UK’s most esteemed Consultant Cardiologists and Cardio-thoracic surgeons. Our specialist centres for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, BMI The London Independent Hospital (London), BMI The Alexandra Hospital (Manchester), BMI The Priory Hospital (Birmingham) and BMI Ross Hall Hospital (Glasgow), attract referrals from around the world. Their international reputations are based on the expertise of the Consultants and cardiac nursing teams, together with our ability to cover every aspect of the cardiac patient pathway, whether routine or complex.

We offer the following cardiac treatment and services:
- Rapid access clinics – same-day appointments with one of our Consultant Cardiologists and fast access to onsite diagnostics
- Comprehensive, specialist cardiac screening and diagnostics, including CT coronary angiography, cardiac MRI, echocardiogram and nuclear imaging
- Long-term monitoring, including loop recorders & ZIO patches (to diagnose arrhythmias)
- General and specialist interventional cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Hole in the heart closures
- Vascular procedures

We have invested significantly in the enhancement of our cardiac facilities, including our dedicated Cardiac Catheterisation Suite at BMI The London Independent Hospital.

Conditions managed at our Cardiac Centres include:
- Angina and heart attacks
- Heart rhythm problems
- Coronary artery disease, includingtotal occlusions
- Valve disease
- Heart failure
- Heart disease risk factor management such as cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Structural defects
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Our dedicated cardiac teams adopt a multi-disciplinary approach across the full range of sub-specialities to deliver the best possible outcomes. Many of our Consultants also practice in the UK’s major tertiary cardiac centres such as Barts Heart Centre located at St Bartholomew’s (NHS) Hospital in London, the largest of its kind in Europe.

Cardiology and cardiothoracic surgeries offered at BMI Healthcare:
- Coronary angiogram
- Angioplasty with drug-eluting stents
- Angioplasty with bioabsorbable stents
- Cryoablation
- Alcohol septal ablation
- Catheter ablation
- Transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE)
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closures
- Atrial septal defect (AS D) closuresTAVI
- Heart bypass surgery (CABG)
- Aortic valve replacement surgery
- Mitral valve replacement surgery
 

Our dedicated Renal Transplant Facility at BMI The London Independent Hospital offers a surgical service for patients with kidney failure. Here, our specialist clinical teams offer expertise in all aspects of kidney disease from diagnosis of chronic kidney failure and vascular access creation for dialysis, through to renal transplantation.

All services are led and delivered by leading Consultants in this highly specialised field; one of our lead renal transplant surgeons has been appointed as the National Clinical Lead for Organ Retrieval in England.

Our fully integrated, multi-disciplinary team includes:
- Consultant Nephrologists
- Consultant Transplant and Vascular Access Surgeons
- Critical Care Consultants
- Interventional Radiologists
- Dialysis Nurses

Many of our other hospitals offer a full in-house renal assessment service and diagnosis within one week of first visit, with rapid access to specialist scans and blood tests.

Our renal clinics can assess and manage all kidney conditions from:
- Acute kidney injury
- Epidemiology of kidney disease
- Hemodiafiltration
- Haematuria
- Renal stones
- Renal artery stenosis
- Renal anaemia

Treatments managed by our renal treatment centres:
- Nephrostomy
- Placement of dialysis catheters
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Renal biopsies
- Renal angiography
- Renal artery stenosis with balloon angioplasties and stenting

Our dialysis service is run by a team of highly skilled dialysis nurses, operating the unit seven days a week to deliver the following services:
- Intermittent hemodialysis
- Intermittent hemodiafiltration
- Continuous hemofiltration
- Continuous hemodiafiltration
- Therapeutic plasma exchange

Vascular access and renal surgeries offered at BMI Healthcare:
- Vascular access for haemodialysis
- Creation of native arteriovenous fistula and graft
- Placement of HeRO® Graft
- Living donor renal transplantation
- Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy
- HLA and ABO incompatible renal transplantation
- Nephrectomy (Open and Laparoscopic)

A number of our principal high acuity hospitals in London, Hampshire, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and Glasgow, offer the support and back-up of full critical care facilities.

Such advanced capabilities have enabled us to treat cases over many years at the highest level of complexity, including major spinal, trauma, cardiac, neuro, colorectal, vascular and transplant surgery, as well as complex medical admissions.

Our critical care facilities are fitted with isolation pods and side rooms for patients with infection risk which are particularly useful for medical evacuations/direct admission into these facilities from overseas.

Our 24 hour critical care facilities provide dedicated and specialised care for:
- Critically ill and post-trauma patients
- Patients requiring advanced care following major and complex surgical procedures
- Patients with a variety of medical conditions who require complex multi-organ support
- High risk patients undergoing minor/intermediate procedures e.g. patients with complex medical histories
- Acutely ill inpatients or patients admitted through our urgent direct admissions service
- Patients requiring weaning from mechanical ventilation

Major complex procedures supported by our Critical Care Units include:
- Cardiac surgery
- Thoracic surgery
- Spinal surgery
- Cranial neurosurgery
- Orthopaedic and sarcoma surgery
- General surgery – bowel and upper gastrointestinal
- Bariatric surgery
- Haematological interventions
- Oral and maxillofacial surgery
- ENT surgery – tumour, thyroid, neck
- Major reconstructive surgery
- Complex gynaecological procedures
- Renal/urological procedures
- Transplant surgery

Our Critical Care Facilities are staffed by specialist nursing teams who offer one-to-one patient care and are supported by multi-discplinary teams including:
-Consultants in intensive care medicine
-Specialty consultants
-Specialist critical care registrars
-Radiologists
-Pathologists
-Microbiologists
-Physiotherapists
-Dieticians
-Pharmacists

We offer comprehensive neurosciences services at many of our hospitals and cover the full spectrum of conditions, including high complexity cases. Our Consultant Neurologists and Neurosurgeons work closely with other doctors and therapists in providing a wide range of rehabilitation and convalescence care following intervention. In London, our neurological and neurosurgical services (spinal and cranial) are delivered by leading experts at the high acuity London Independent Hospital, while our neurological rehabilitation team cares for patients in our dedicated unit at BMI The Clementine Churchill Hospital. Thanks to our range of neurosciences consultants across the breadth of sub-specialties, we are able to adopt a multi-disciplinary team approach encompassing all
facets of brain and spinal cord disease.

Furthermore, our specialist neurological rehabilitation in Circle Rehabilitation, Birmingham, our team provides expert support and care to ease your symptoms, increase mobility, prevent falls and improve your quality of life. We provide specialist rehabilitation treatment for those who require an intensive programme and a stay in our facility in addition to those that need occasional support as part of their ongoing recovery plan.

Our teams include the following experts:
- Neurosurgeons
- Neurologists
- Interventional Neuroradiologists
- Neuropathologists
- Neuro Intensive Care Consultants

Neurology
Our neurology outpatient clinics offer specialist clinical advice. The Consultant Neurologist will take a comprehensive medical/neurological history and perform a detailed neurological examination. Other investigations which may be required include blood tests, CT or MRI scans and neurophysiological studies such as EMG/NCS (tests on the nerves and muscles) and EEG (electroencephalography). All investigations will be coordinated in-house, offering a streamlined patient pathway.

Neurosurgery
Patients who have a neurological injury or illness may need to be admitted for assessment and treatment by our team of experts.

Treatments we offer include:
- MR and CT angiography
- Brain tumour surgery
- Spinal cord tumour surgery
- Arterio-venous malformation surgery
- Cerebral aneurysm surgery
- Cerebral coiling clipping

Services we offer include:
- Repatriation from a foreign country after suffering neurological condition
- Neuro rehabilitation after all neurosurgical and neurological disease
- Rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury
- Optimisation of medical therapy

Neurological rehabilitation
This can often improve function, reduce symptoms, and improve the well-being of patients. Our neurological rehabilitation facilities at Circle Rehabilitation in Birmingham have dedicated teams delivering both outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation care for patients. The multi-disciplinary teams work closely with patients and families to develop a bespoke care plan, accommodating needs from postoperative support to optimisation of medical therapy.

Fast track your treatment

To book an appointment or speak to one of our friendly team, please get in touch using the options below.

Muslim woman wearing hijab speaking to surgeon in consultation

If you require assistance, multi-lingual support or any other information, please call +44 (0)20 7780 2525

 or find a specialist and book an appointment online

International Patient Experience

The International Patient Centre at BMI The London Independent Hospital is the first point of call for all overseas clients. Mr Al-Ajmi came to BMI Healthcare for a series of complex surgeries and was under the care of a multi-disciplinary team led by Dr James. Find out more about his experience.

Find out more

Ways to pay

Accessing private healthcare
Accessing private healthcare