Private ENT care in Kent: your questions answered

If you are self-paying, you can usually contact my private secretary directly. If you are insured, your insurer may require a GP referral and pre-authorisation, so check your policy before booking.

I see private patients at Spencer Private Hospitals Ashford, in the Arundel Unit at William Harvey Hospital. View the address, directions and parking information.

My currently published consultation fees are £250 for a first consultation and £150 for follow-up. Investigation, procedure, anaesthetic and hospital charges are separate. Please confirm the latest fees with my private secretary before booking.

My surgical fees depend on the procedure and complexity of treatment. You will receive a personalised quotation following your consultation. View my starting surgical fees.

These prices cover my consultant surgical fee only. Hospital and anaesthetic charges are additional and are quoted separately by Spencer Private Hospitals. For rhinoplasty, I provide an individual quotation including any VAT that applies to my surgical fee.

I am recognised by Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality, WPA, Allianz Worldwide Care and Healix Health Insurance. I am also Bupa Fee Assured and part of the Open Referral network.

Please check your cover and obtain any required authorisation from your insurer before booking.

Please bring your medication list, details of previous ENT surgery, relevant letters or test results, and any CT/MRI imaging reports or image access details if you have them. If you are insured, please also bring your insurer authorisation details.

I may recommend nasal endoscopy because it provides useful information for many nose and sinus problems. I will discuss whether it is needed during your appointment.

Yes. I offer the 16-odour Sniffin’ Sticks identification test to assess your ability to recognise everyday smells. It is a non-invasive test in which you smell scented pens and select an answer from four options.

I use it when assessing smell loss associated with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), monitoring smell in patients receiving dupilumab for CRSwNP, and assessing or following up smell loss after viral infections, including COVID-19. Results form part of the wider clinical assessment and can be compared over time. Read more about smell identification testing.

Not necessarily. In chronic inflammatory sinus disease, endoscopic sinus surgery aims to improve ventilation, drainage and access for topical treatment. Ongoing medical treatment may still be needed, and some disease can recur.

Septoplasty primarily addresses the internal septum. Functional septorhinoplasty also changes or supports parts of the external nasal framework and may be required when obstruction involves the nasal valves or external deviation.

Yes. I consider both nasal function and appearance when planning rhinoplasty and structural nasal surgery, as the two are closely related.

Yes. I see children and young people with common ear, nose and throat conditions, including tonsil and adenoid problems, snoring and sleep-disordered breathing, glue ear, hearing problems, recurrent ear infections, excessive ear wax, nosebleeds, nasal obstruction, tongue-tie and preauricular sinus.

My paediatric surgical repertoire includes tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, grommet insertion, nasal cautery, inferior turbinate reduction, tongue-tie division and preauricular sinus excision. I also offer microsuction or ear-wax removal in suitable children where clinically appropriate.

For older children and teenagers with significant nasal obstruction, I can assess structural nasal problems and advise whether septal or other nasal surgery may be appropriate.

Yes. For selected patients with tear drainage obstruction, I perform endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) surgery jointly with Consultant Ophthalmologist and Oculoplastic/Orbital Surgeon Mr Mike Mota. This includes selected children with tear-drainage obstruction. Ophthalmic assessment is important because not every watery eye is caused by a blocked tear duct.