Guides

What we would tell a friend.

Including the parts that are bad for our business — when a second opinion is unnecessary, when travelling for treatment is the wrong call, and what to ask any facilitator before you pay them.

Second opinions

Why a second opinion changes the plan more often than people expect

Two competent specialists can read the same file and reach different conclusions. That is not malpractice — it is how clinical medicine works. Here is why, and where it matters most.

What a second opinion actually costs in India — and what you get for it

US$100 internationally, ₹3,500–₹7,500 domestically. What is included at each price, and what the cheaper options leave out.

When a records-only opinion is enough, and when you need to be examined

A remote reviewer cannot palpate an abdomen or test a reflex. For most second-opinion questions that does not matter. For some it decides everything.

Getting a second opinion on a cancer diagnosis: when, and what to ask

Staging, molecular subtype, and operability are the three places oncologists most often disagree. What to send, and the questions that get useful answers.

Is it rude to ask your doctor for a second opinion?

No — and a doctor who makes it difficult has told you something useful. How to ask, and what you are entitled to.

Is an online doctor consultation legal in India? A patient's guide to the NMC rules

Teleconsultation is permitted, regulated, and has specific limits. What a doctor may and may not do over video, and what you should check before booking.

Treatment in India

When you should not travel to India for treatment

We advise against travel in a meaningful share of the cases we review. These are the situations where staying home is the better clinical decision.

"What if it costs more than you quoted?" — the question to ask every facilitator

Indicative estimates are not quotes. How overruns actually get handled, and the specific wording to look for in an agreement.

Cardiac surgery costs: India compared with the US, UK and Australia

Where the difference is real, what published figures do and do not include, and why the headline saving is rarely the number you end up paying.

JCI and NABH accreditation: what each one actually certifies

Accreditation measures process, not surgeon skill. What it tells you, what it does not, and what to ask beyond the certificate.

India's e-Medical Visa: a step-by-step guide

Eligibility, the hospital invitation letter, the attendant visa for a companion, and the errors that cause most rejections.

What to prepare before flying for surgery

Documents, medication, DVT risk on the return leg, and the conversation to have with your own doctor before you go.

Long NHS waits and treatment abroad: what UK patients should weigh

The cost of waiting is clinical as well as financial. What to arrange with your GP before and after, and where going abroad backfires.

Medical travel to India: an honest overview

Who comes, for what, what genuinely works well, and the four failure modes that account for most bad experiences.

DRAFT — pending counsel review.