# How to ask for an NHS second opinion https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/ Publisher: Med Easy Source material checked: 2026-10-20 Editorial information; no registered-clinician review is claimed. General UK healthcare information. Country-specific rules and provider examples retain the limits stated in the text. Fees are dated examples, not live quotes. ## Short answer Ask your current clinician or GP how to request an NHS second opinion about the diagnosis or treatment question you want reviewed. Prepare the relevant records and ask who will arrange any referral. Another opinion does not automatically transfer your care or guarantee a different conclusion, so keep the current treatment and follow-up plan clear. A second opinion gives another clinician the chance to consider a diagnosis or treatment question. The most useful request explains the uncertainty you want resolved and keeps your current care arrangements clear while it is considered. ## Key points - Make the unresolved question specific. A request about interpreting a finding or comparing treatment options gives the receiving clinician a clearer purpose than simply asking to see somebody else. - Separate the new opinion from a transfer of care. Ask which team remains responsible, whether existing appointments continue and how the second opinion will be discussed with you. - Use the written outcome to understand agreement or disagreement. Ask what evidence was considered, what remains uncertain and which next action follows from the assessment. ## Name the question you want answered Begin with the decision, rather than a demand for a particular answer. You might want to understand why one treatment was suggested, whether a result changes the diagnosis, or how two reasonable options compare. Write down the point you still cannot explain after reading your clinic letter. That becomes the focus of the next conversation. Ask your current clinician to revisit the explanation first if that would help. A clearer discussion and an independent assessment are different ways to resolve uncertainty. NHS Wales explains asking for clarification and a further opinion . You can still discuss a second opinion after that conversation; preparing a question does not require you to agree with the original conclusion. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/#name-the-question-you-want-answered - [NHS Wales explains asking for clarification and a further opinion](https://111.wales.nhs.uk/secondopinion/) ## Ask which referral route applies For an adult hospital opinion in England, ask your consultant or GP how the relevant service handles requests. King’s College Hospital describes its usual route through the GP , with relevant existing investigations sent to the new clinical team. Local arrangements and the type of service matter, so ask who will make the request rather than assuming you must submit it yourself. Keep a short request record: date discussed, question being referred, proposed specialty, person arranging it and the response expected. If the request is declined, ask for the reason and what other route could address the concern. For mental health care, the NHS describes second-opinion arrangements and PALS support . This is general navigation information, not a guarantee of access to any chosen specialist. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/#ask-which-referral-route-applies - [King’s College Hospital describes its usual route through the GP](https://www.kch.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/help-and-support/seeking-a-second-opinion/) - [the NHS describes second-opinion arrangements and PALS support](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/social-care-and-your-rights/mental-health-assessments/) ## Make the records tell one coherent story Prepare a brief timeline of the assessments already completed. Include the dates of relevant letters, investigations and treatment discussions, and ask which records the receiving service needs. Your aim is to help the clinician locate the evidence, not to rewrite your medical history from memory. Keep three lists separate: what the original team concluded, what you understood from it, and the questions that remain. That distinction helps identify a misunderstanding without losing a substantive disagreement. If a document seems inaccurate, name the entry and ask the service responsible to review it; see our GP health-record guide for accessing information. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/#make-the-records-tell-one-coherent-story - [GP health-record guide](https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/access-gp-health-records/) ## Keep current care and the new opinion connected A second opinion does not automatically transfer responsibility to another hospital. King’s says a move to the new team needs separate arrangements. It also advises discussing whether waiting could affect treatment. Read its practical considerations . Ask the team currently responsible for you what the plan is while the request is being processed. For example, if you already have a review booked, establish whether it remains in place and who can answer questions before the second appointment. Do not cancel an existing step simply because another referral has been mentioned. Discuss any change with the team organising your care. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/#keep-current-care-and-the-new-opinion-connected - [Read its practical considerations](https://www.kch.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/help-and-support/seeking-a-second-opinion/) ## Use the outcome, including when the opinions agree Ask for an explanation you can keep: the question considered, the conclusion, any information still missing and the recommended next action. Agreement between clinicians may answer an uncertainty; disagreement needs a discussion of what differs and why. A second appointment is useful when it leaves you understanding the decision more clearly. Children’s services have their own arrangements for involving the child, parents and clinical teams. Great Ormond Street’s guide illustrates these and distinguishes a further opinion from a transfer. For Wales, use the national guidance linked above; for Scotland or Northern Ireland, confirm the local service’s process through our four-nations guide . If you are considering paying for another view, read how private and NHS care fit together before assuming the report transfers follow-up responsibility. Section link: https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/#use-the-outcome-including-when-the-opinions-agree - [Great Ormond Street’s guide](https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/patients-and-families/your-care/seeking-a-second-opinion/) - [four-nations guide](https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/uk-healthcare-four-nations/) - [how private and NHS care fit together](https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/) ## Questions to ask - What exact diagnosis, finding or treatment decision do I want the second clinician to review or explain? - Which clinician or service will arrange the referral, and how will I know whether it has been accepted? - Which existing letters, results and images need to reach the new team before the appointment? - Who remains responsible for my care while I wait, and should any existing appointment arrangements change? - How will the outcome reach me and my current team, and what separate agreement would be needed to transfer care? ## Frequently asked questions ### Will the new consultant automatically take over my care? No. Asking another team for an opinion and moving your care to it are separate arrangements. Ask who remains responsible while you wait and how a proposed transfer would be agreed. Keep existing follow-up arrangements clear until the teams explain any change; a referral letter alone does not complete that handover. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/#faq-1 ### What if the second clinician agrees with the first? That can still help if the explanation resolves the uncertainty that led you to ask. Request a clear account of the evidence, alternatives and next steps. The purpose is an informed clinical view, rather than a guaranteed different answer. If questions remain, name them so the team can respond specifically. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/#faq-2 ### Can I request an opinion on behalf of a relative? Ask the service how it involves the patient and records permission or other appropriate authority. Children’s services also have their own arrangements for involving the child and those with parental responsibility. Supporting someone to prepare questions is different from automatically being entitled to receive their confidential information or direct their treatment. https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/nhs-second-opinion/#faq-3 ## Sources - [King’s College Hospital: seeking a second opinion](https://www.kch.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/help-and-support/seeking-a-second-opinion/) — NHS or public authority - [NHS Wales: second opinions](https://111.wales.nhs.uk/secondopinion/) — NHS or public authority - [NHS: mental health assessments and second opinions](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/social-care-and-your-rights/mental-health-assessments/) — NHS or public authority - [Great Ormond Street Hospital: seeking a second opinion](https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/patients-and-families/your-care/seeking-a-second-opinion/) — NHS or public authority ## Related guides - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/access-gp-health-records/ - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/prepare-for-healthcare-appointment/ - https://www.med-easy.co.uk/guides/private-and-nhs-care/