- Your GP practice cannot provide or arrange the specialist follow-up care needed for at least 2 years after bariatric surgery, regardless of whether your surgery was NHS-funded or privately paid for.
- If you plan private surgery, budget for at least two years of private specialist follow-up care, either as part of your surgery package or purchased separately.
- After completing your private follow-up, you will receive ongoing NHS support like patients who had NHS-funded surgery.
- Bariatric surgery is major and requires specialist assessment before and long-term follow-up after surgery to monitor your health, diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes.
- NHS guidance states that pre- and post-operative care must be delivered as a complete episode by a specialist multidisciplinary team — mixing NHS and private care for the same treatment episode is not permitted.
- Routine NHS post-surgery care for privately funded bariatric surgery is not routinely provided or commissioned; however, emergency care will always be available if needed.
- Discuss any plans for private surgery with your GP before proceeding.
For more detailed information, please see the links below: