Marcus Cope - Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Marcus Cope is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon working at
Ramsay’s Renacres Hospital, in Ormskirk, and also at Southport and
Ormskirk District General Hospital. Marcus has been practising as a
Consultant in the NHS for the last two years, since he returned to
the UK from a Fellowship in Australia to take his post up at
Southport Hospital. Here he shares some helpful hints.
I was always advised as a trainee to concentrate on my NHS
practice for the first year before commencing private work. However
after just two months I met the staff at Renacres Hospital and I
decided to take the plunge earlier than I had originally planned.
This was largely due to the friendliness and support that Renacres
offered me as a new starter.
Consultants go into private practice for different reasons: some
are motivated by the extra income; others like the ability to have
a greater control over how their practice develops. In private
practice I like the fact that I can choose how many patients I see
and how long I have with individual patients, a luxury compared to
the NHS.
Since starting work at Renacres I have been exposed to the
business aspects of practice that I have never previously had to
deal with in my NHS career. Marketing, dealing with insurance
companies and the collection of bad debts are a few examples. It is
my good fortune that Ramsay staff have been there to hold my hand
and offer guidance all the way and always with a smile on their
faces! The help offered is flexible and is tailored to your
needs.
How your practice develops depends on the support of the staff
around you. Examples of this are the way that your secretary deals
with any problems that your patients may be experiencing. Patients
that are pleased with the treatment they have had will recommend
you, helping to grow your reputation. The appointment staff book
patients into clinics without gaps, allowing you to be more
efficient with the extra time that you devote to your private
practice. This enables you to concentrate on the clinical aspects,
which is what you have been trained to do.