Getting a specialist second opinion from the UK
A second opinion means a different specialist reviews your existing reports and advice, to help you decide what to do next. This guide explains how Saleem arranges one with partner hospitals in London and Manchester, what to prepare and how quotes work. It is general information, and it does not replace your own doctor.
- For
- Patients in Bahrain who want another specialist to review their reports.
- Where
- Partner hospitals in London and Manchester.
- You pay Saleem
- A BD 20 search fee, credited to your treatment if you go ahead.
- Who decides
- You, your family and your doctors. Saleem coordinates care.
What is a specialist second opinion, and when do people ask for one?
A second opinion is a review of your case by another specialist. They look at your reports and images and give their view. People often ask for one before major surgery, when the options are complex, or when they want reassurance before a big decision.
It does not replace your own doctor, and Saleem does not interpret your results. Specialists do that.
Which UK hospitals does Saleem work with?
Saleem has partner hospitals in London and Manchester that see complex cases: brain and spine, heart, cancer, orthopaedics and eyes. We name hospitals publicly once they agree to be named. For your case, you approve the hospital before it receives your reports. You can read more on the United Kingdom page.
These are complex cases, so a hospital may ask for more documents before it can quote.
How does Saleem arrange a second opinion?
A second opinion follows the same four phases as every Saleem case.
-
Your request and intro call
Tell us what is going on. We call you, then send your search fee link.
Behind the scenes One case manager, from start to finish.
-
Your reports, reviewed by a doctor
Share your reports. A Saleem doctor reviews them.
Behind the scenes We ask for anything missing before hospitals see it.
-
Hospital quotes, checked
You approve the hospitals, then they quote in BHD.
Behind the scenes We check every line before you see it.
-
Treatment, travel and follow-up
Visa help, flights, stay and an interpreter.
Behind the scenes We check in once you are home.
On the intro call, your case manager asks about your situation and does not give medical advice. After the call you pay a BD 20 search fee, and the search fee terms explain how it applies. In the reports phase, share your reports, images and a short summary of your history. With your written approval, a partner hospital reviews your case, and its quote states how the opinion is delivered and what it includes. Travel is only needed if the specialist wants to see you in person. Once you are home, you discuss the opinion with your own doctor.
What should I prepare?
- All your reports in date order, including results and any earlier opinions.
- Scans and images as files or on a disc, as well as the written reports. Ask your hospital's records or radiology team how to release them.
- A short timeline: when things started, what was tried and what you were told.
- A letter from your current doctor, if you have one.
- Your questions, written down. Put the three that matter most at the top.
- Your passport, in case the specialist wants to see you in person.
If your reports are in Arabic, tell your case manager so they can be prepared for the hospital. You approve every hospital before it sees your documents.
How do quotes and costs work?
The second opinion is quoted as an itemised price in Bahraini dinars, stating what it includes. A Saleem doctor reads every quote before it reaches you, and the figures come from the hospital. If you later want treatment, you receive a further itemised quote.
The cost estimator on our home page shows a range from recent quotes at partner hospitals, what is usually included and not included, and the typical hospital stay where we have one. It shows a range only when at least five recent quotes stand behind it, and your itemised quote is always the final figure.
Ask what happens if the specialist needs more information, and whether any extra tests or reports are quoted separately.
Do I need to travel to the UK, and who can come with me?
A second opinion can be based on your reports and images, so travel is not always needed. If the specialist asks to see you in person, we plan the trip with you.
You can bring a companion. Tell your case manager so that stay and travel cover everyone. Your case manager confirms the visa and entry requirements for each passport, so ask well before you book, and ask who will interpret and when, including in a video consultation.
What happens after I receive the opinion?
Take it to your own doctor and talk it through. You can also book a video appointment with a doctor in Bahrain. If you decide to pursue treatment in the UK or elsewhere, your case manager continues with quotes. Decisions stay with you and your doctors.
A second opinion may confirm your doctor's plan, suggest changes or raise new questions. Any of these can be useful, and none commits you to treatment.
What should I ask the specialist?
- Do you agree with the diagnosis and the current plan, and why or why not?
- What other options exist, including waiting?
- Would any further tests change your advice?
- What are the risks and benefits of each option for me?
- How should I pass your opinion to my own doctor?
- What should I ask my own doctor next?
- Whom can I contact with follow-up questions, and how?
General information, not medical advice. Your doctor decides what is right for you. Saleem coordinates care. Clinical decisions are made by licensed physicians.
Still not sure? Let's talk.
Tell us what is going on, in Arabic or English. A person from our team replies during working hours.