NHS Rhinoplasty Waiting List Information

Rhinoplasty on the NHS

Plastic surgery is not commonly available on the NHS. Surgery for cosmetic reasons is not performed but if surgery is deemed medically necessary, or reconstructive it may be carried out on the NHS. An example of medically necessary rhinoplasty could be a septorhinoplasty where breathing difficulties are alleviated by correcting the cartilage wall in the middle of the nose. If a patient believes they may be eligible for rhinoplasty on the NHS they should contact their GP in the first instance to discuss their case. If they feel you have a case for NHS surgery they will refer you to a surgeon, and they may refer you for psychologist as part of the process. You cannot refer yourself to an NHS surgeon it has to be done through a GP. If a prospective patient is considered suitable the surgery will be carried out at no cost to the patient.

Waiting lists

Waiting lists in the NHS vary considerably between primary health care trusts. If a patient is approved for rhinoplasty on the NHS, it is almost certainly going to be considered a non urgent procedure. Non urgent procedures have longer waiting lists than urgent ones. For a rhinoplasty surgical waiting lists can be between twelve to eighteen months. This is the waiting time once the patient has been accepted by the surgeon and there will be a period of time from the initial GP’s referral. There is no way for patients to improve these waiting times it is simply down to the time for the healthcare trust for your postcode. Additionally if the patient has aesthetic concerns about their nose it is worth remembering the NHS is performing a medical procedure, not a cosmetic one, and the patient still may be unhappy with the appearance of the nose after surgery.

Options other than the NHS

If a patient feels the waiting list is too long the only option is to have the rhinoplasty performed privately, either in the UK or abroad. The advantage here is the waiting list for surgery can be almost no time, although popular clinics and surgeons will have longer waiting times. The disadvantage of having a rhinoplasty performed privately as opposed to on the NHS is the cost. Some patients choose to have the rhino plasty abroad as the cost can be under half that of the UK, but without the considerable waiting times of the NHS. If you are interested in having the surgery conducted privately the first option is to contact a clinic for an initial consultation to discuss your case.