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What
we do for you: A representative of Linda Briggs in Hungary will assist you in finding a specialist for the treatment you have requested, obtain an opinion from the appropriate specialist from photographs you will be asked to upload, organise consultations,
pre-operative tests when required, and surgery/treatments, post-op checks
and examinations, and arrange for airport transfers. The cost of this is included in the cost of your surgery as advised.
Your
Health Status: It
is necessary, in order to undergo surgery/treatment in Budapest, to
disclose any current or past health issues, so that the doctors are fully informed of your health status, and any issues arising from this that might compromise surgery. A comprehensive Health
Questionnaire/Medical History document will be emailed to you before your
surgery which you are obliged to complete as fully as possible. What you
might consider trivial could be of importance to the surgeon and
anaesthetist! The information contained in this document is private
and confidential, and if requested, returned to the Patient after
successful completion of any treatment. It is passed straight to
the surgeon and we do not keep copied.
Pre-op tests, as requested by the medical professionals, will be carried
out prior to the surgery taking place. If the results of these tests
show that the Patient cannot go ahead with the arranged treatment, due to
medical reasons, they will be fully responsible for their own costs.
If a Patient has undergone any recent health or diagnostic tests,
the results of these should be notified to Linda Briggs in Hungary to
pass on to the doctors concerned.
Your
surgeon: The
Contract for your treatment is between you and your surgeon/dentist/medical
specialist. We do not discuss or advise on any issues relating to medical, dental or other treatments. The treatment between you
and your medical professional must be fully discussed with them, although the Linda Briggs representative will liaise with them on your behalf
before your arrival, and assist in obtaining answers from your
surgeon/dentist/doctor to pass on to you. Linda Briggs acts
solely in an advisory capacity between the surgeon/clinic and the Patient, and
does not have any medical qualifications.
Travel
and Accommodation: You
are required to arrange your own travel to and from Budapest, although the
Linda Briggs representative will be happy to advise on your nearest/most
convenient airport offering direct low cost flights. The airport is called Liszt Ferenc International Airport,
Budapest(Air
port Code BUD) and is the only airport in Budapest. In some cases, to
tie up with a surgery date, flights via another European hub, flying with
Norwegian or Lufthansa, can work very well. Also, sometimes the best
plan is to travel out on one airline, and return on another.
Regarding accommodation, there are self-catering apartments that we can
book on your behalf, but they do book up well in advance! The costs of travel and accommodation are paid separately by the Patient. You
are completely responsible for any apartment booked by us in your name -
costs, cancellation, damage.
Aftercare:
You
will be given advice from your surgeon re post-operative care before
leaving the clinic, together with written aftercare instructions. Further
information, if necessary will be provided at your final check before you
leave Budapest. If you have any questions regarding this, please
do ask your surgeon before you leave. If, on your return home, you
have any questions or concerns, please contact your representative in
Budapest, who will liaise with the surgeon or doctor on your behalf.
Neither we, nor the surgeon, can be held responsible if you do not follow the
aftercare instructions!
Hungarian Medical Laws state that any medical dispute must be settled
between the patient and the surgeon/clinic/dentist directly. In
this event, we will ask the medical professional to contact you directly.
Deposit:
A
deposit of £500 or 500 euros, is required when booking a surgery date in order for the surgeon to confirm the date and surgery slot. If
the deposit is not paid on receipt of the deposit invoice then the
surgeon will offer the date/slot to another patient. This deposit is non-refundable,
but in cases of illness or another valid reason for postponement of surgery, then the deposit can be transferred to a new booking date.
Payment:
The
balance for your surgery needs to be paid no later than 12 days before
your date of travel to Budapest. An invoice will be issued and can be paid easily online using a debit card via Sage Pay. For
those patients wishing to pay in EUR, details of the account to send a EUR
payment to are given at the bottom of the invoice. A bank transfer fee of
either £30 or €35 is added to the balance for the transfer to Budapest.
In order to avoid the conversion into sterling, and arguments about
exchange rates, it is recommended that you pay in EUR to the EUR account. This is especially straightforward if you are intending to pay for
your surgery/treatment in installments before you come over - as there is
no issue with fluctuations in exchange rates. You will always know
how much your balance is at any time.
Euros vs sterling: All the medical professionals we
know fix their prices in Euros, as this is easier than coping with
currency fluctuations with the Hungarian forint! On each invoice is
sued there are bank details for those wishing to make a transfer in EUR,
and also details of a currency exchange companies who offer one of the
best rates going (if not the best)!
Exchange rates:
The
exchange rate used when paying in sterling via Sage Pay is the Daily
Telegraph's daily printed (not online) Tourist (not Bank) rat
e as used and notified by the Nat West Bank - we have no control over this and this is the rate that has to be used
for all payments made this way. Online can be found many differing daily rates, but patients cannot simply pick one and expect
that to be the one used! Currency is a commodity and can be sold/bought at many different prices.
Receipts for payments:
Receipts for payments made for surgery/dentistry/medical treatments are
not given as an online system is operated.
Your
bank/card statement is confirmation and proof of payment.
Cancellations:
No
one can force you (nor would anyone wish to) and should you wish to cancel
your booking the following will apply:-
Flights:
These are booked and paid for yourself and therefore any loss is born
e by you.
Missed
Flights:
If you miss your flight for whatever reason, it is up to you to purchase
another flight at your own cost. If it is possible to reschedule
your surgery within your planned dates, we will do so - but if not,
surgery will have to be rescheduled at a later date. If
flights are cancelled for reasons due to weather etc, we will make every
effort to reschedule your surgery for another day, but cannot be held
responsible if the surgeon is no longer available and it is necessary to
organise your surgery and travel for another time.
Accommodation:
The apartments that can be booked in Budapest on your behalf, norm
ally require a non-refundable deposit. However, Linda's referrals are not
charged this. You can cancel up to one month before your arrival - after that any cancellation fees are at the discretion of the
Apartment Manager. Other apartments have different policies depending on how far in advance you cancel and if the accommodation can be relet
- you should check before booking.
Clinic/hospital
costs:
Cancellation costs vary. Often they will charge a cancellation fee of 10 - 20% if cancelled less than 3 weeks before surgery. Some
will charge a lower fee if surgery is booked for a later date.
Cancellations less than 10 days notice usually incur a larger
fee and again this varies from clinic to clinic. Cancellations the
week of the surgery normally incur the full amount of the costs, as it is
then too late to reschedule and book another patient. Check the insurance
policy
on Linda's website and find out the situation re cancellation costs.
Cancellation
on medical grounds:
It is worth checking with the airline to see if they can suspend
your flights for up to one year. Your surgery can be rescheduled for a
later date without incurring extra charges, if notified prior to the
booked date. Proof/supporting documentation will
be required.
Insurance:
It is strongly recommended that you take out insurance for medical
tourism, see: http://www.lindabriggs.co.uk/insurance.htm. Many
people are unaware that normal travel policies do not cover anyone going
abroad for medical treatment of any kind
Refunds
of monies paid:
Any refunds paid, subject to the above, will also incur an administration
charge of £50.
What
are the clinics in Budapest/Hungary like? We
only tell you about privately owned dedicated self-contained modern clinics, some of which have the added reassurance of being located
within State Hospitals. The clinics comply with all the stringent
regulations of the Hungarian Health Authorities and are inspected on a
regular basis. (Hungary
has some of the strictest medical laws in Europe thus ensuring maximum
patient safety and standards of care). They are equipped with the
latest technology, and offer the highest standards of care. The doctors all speak English and the nurses sufficient to deal with the pre and
post-operative care of their patients - they are very experienced in pre
and post cosmetic surgery nursing, and are very kind! Most clinics
have twin bedded and some single rooms - and it is possible to request a single room - however during very busy periods it may not be possible
to have a single room.
When do I need to arrive in
Budapest before my surgery? All
General anaesthesia procedures require pre-op blood tests, possibly chest
X-ray (determined by age, general health, any previous respiratory
problems, and smoking), blood pressure check, and sometimes mammograms.
It is advisable, wherever possible to arrive 2 days before surgery so that the pre-ops can be carried out the
following morning (early) - the rest of the day can be spent relaxing,
doing some food shopping, getting your bearings, and having a good meal
before surgery. If you are only able to arrive on the day before surgery then you should try to book a flight arriving no later than late
morning/early afternoon - as arriving too late on the day before surgery
is not good - you need time to relax and prepare for your surgery.
If you only arrive the day before surgery the pre-ops will be carried
out at 7.30am - and you will have to wait for the results to be sent back
from the lab before your surgery can take place.
Where
should I stay in Budapest? Budapest
is a popular all-year-round tourist destination and offers a huge choice of hotels and self-catering studio and larger apartments. Prices
are lower in the winter months and increase at Easter. High season is July and August. Some patients enjoy looking online at the various accommodation options, and we ask those who like to choose their own
accommodation to check with us before making a booking - as sometimes the
'near to' descriptions are somewhat far fetched! You want to be reasonably near to the clinic where you are receiving your treatment,
but in a good location - near food shops, cafes, restaurants etc. There are
apartments that we can book on your behalf - fully equipped with Wifi,
washing machine, and newly renovated. They do get booked up well in
advance but occasionally there is availability for the dates required.
Regarding hotels, there are hotels within all price ranges near to the clinics,
and for short-stay patients this is often their choice. For patients having cosmetic/plastic surgery and a longer stay, a self-catering apartment offers greater freedom and privacy, is very cost effective, and provides
more space than a hotel room.
Where
do I stay straight after my surgery/treatment?After
a day case local anaesthesia procedure, a patient can return (in the care of a companion) to his/her accommodation later on the day
of surgery. After general anaesthesia, patients are required to
stay overnight in the clinic (and sometimes 2 nights eg in the case of
Tummy tuck surgery). Patients do ask if they can stay longer in
the clinic, and the answer is 'yes', but there will be an extra cost -
but usually after one night patients are looking forward to returning to their own 'Home in Budapest! Most of the clinics in Budapest
only offer short-stay facilities.
How
long should I stay?Patients are often more concerned about how long they should stay more than anything else! The doctors understand that for foreign patients it is often difficult to be away
from home for more than a few days. However, you should take the ad
vice of your medical practitioner regarding the post-op treatment or
surgery stay, which is given to ensure that your healing and recovery is
not compromised in any way. You want to be sure that you are ready
and able to return home without any possible complications occurring as a
result of not taking your specialist's advice! If
possible, when booking flights, buy a ticket that can be changed for the
return journey in case you need to extend your stay.
Dental
Treatment - time needed: Extractions, ma
king and fitting of long-term technician made temporary dentures - 4 days;
sinus lifting/bone augmentation/implants 2/3 days - crowns/bridges/veneers 5 complete working days. After extractions, and if a normal situation, 6-8 weeks
healing time is required. After straightforward closed sinus lift and/or implants 3 - 4 months is needed before the final visit for the fitting of the
crowns. Sometimes, if more complex work is required, there may be a
longer period of healing, ie 6 months, before the crowns can be fitted
Cosmetic/Plastic
surgery - time needed:. We always recommend, on the advice of the surgeons and doctors, that you allow the maximum time possible for your post-operative stay in Budapest. After surgery, you need time to rest and recover so that by the time you leave you are in the best possible
condition to return home to your busy lifestyle. With many surgeries, complications can develop, and if so they usually occur in the 2nd
week post op. Also, although some sutures are removed by the surgeon
one week post surgery, there are sutures in many procedures that are not
removed until 14 days post op - or even 21 days.
Facelift/necklift: front of ear sutures are removed 7 days post op - behind the ears/back of neck 14 days Eyelid sutures:
7 days post op. Tummy Tuck sutures: 14 days post op (some
are removed before the patient leaves): Breast reduction/uplift:
14 days (with some being removed after 7 days). Rhinoplasty
splints/casts:
minimum 7 days, up to 10 days. Liposuction sutures: 7 days
What
to do if you return home with sutures still to be removed: Often it is necessary, due to time, for patients to return home with some
or all of their sutures still in place. The NHS are not obliged
to treat you after having private surgery and you should be very
careful how you ask for help. Many Practice Nurses are
competent to remove sutures (the surgeon will normally explain to
you before you leave what he has removed and what is remaining), but
some patients do find this a stumbling block on their return home.
However, usually if you explain to your GP or Nurse (whoever is the most
helpful in your Practice!) before you
travel to Budapest that you are going abroad for surgery (out of financial
necessity!) and will have
to return with some of the sutures - and ask if they would help by removing them - the answer is positive! Some NHS Walk in Centres will help - others won't! It is sensible to make an appointment to see your Practice Nurse well in advance, so that the
sutures can be removed on the day the surgeon has specified. It is
also worth asking around your friends who might know a nurse who would do
this for you privately. For those patients living in the London area, there are
the Polyclinics that for a fee will carry out suture removal.
What
happens if I need medical treatment whilst in Budapest that is not related
to my surgery/treatment? It is essential that you bring your EHIC card with you - if you do not have a current one it is easy to obtain either online (free of charge - and beware sites charging for this!) or by telephone - make sure at the time of booking your treatment
that you also check that you have an up to date card. (This applies while we are in Europe, we don't know what will happen after brexit) This
will cover you for any emergency treatment due to accidents, etc, that you
might required in a hospital here. If you forget to bring
your prescription medicines with you it will be difficult to obtain them
here without a valid prescription. It is important that you check
that you have sufficient medicines to last you throughout your stay here.
To
see a doctor privately will cost anything up to 100 EUR! However, if you have Travel insurance for medical tourism, or Private Health Insurance for Europe, there won't be a problem (but make
sure you bring your insurance details with you - the doctor/clinic or
hospital will want to see them).
Insurance Policy for Medical Tourism: Normal travel
insurance policies do not cover anyone going abroad for medical tourism. There
is only one policy specially put together for this.....http://www.lindabriggs.co.uk/insurance.htm.
You can click on the button and obtain a quotation once you have your
travel details.
Will I be alright if I travel
alone to Budapest for surgery or dentistry? Well,
the majority of patients do come alone - and despite their initial fears
and misgivings, actually enjoy the experience! For women, time alone to do exactly what they want when they want (or nothing at all!) is very
rare...... but here after treatment or surgery, this is what they get! It is
better to be relaxed in a comfortable apartment or hotel without having to
consider the needs of anyone else - and this 'Me time' is often the most
memorable part of the whole experience! You never feel alone in Budapest - the city is buzzing and women are safe - even at night - in the
populated tourist areas - by the river - etc! Women eating alone in restaurants is a regular occurrence - Hungarians are friendly and
eager to help - in the central areas most people speak English. However, if
you are someone who cannot bear to be alone and to rely on their
own company, then perhaps it is wise to bring a companion with you!
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