- Nuffield Health Ipswich, Oaks Hospital Colchester
Find answers to common questions about our services, appointments, and policies.
Private consultations with Mr Arshad Malik are held during dedicated clinic hours at the Oaks Hospital in Colchester and Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital. Clinic times vary depending on the day and location. For the most up-to-date availability or to schedule an appointment, please contact the medical secretary directly via phone or email.
While many patients are referred by their General Practitioner (GP) or another medical specialist, a formal referral is not always strictly necessary for self-paying patients. However, if you are using private medical insurance, your insurer will typically require a GP referral letter before authorising your initial consultation.
Please bring any relevant medical records, a list of your current medications, details of any previous surgeries, and your GP referral letter if you have one. If you have undergone any recent diagnostic tests, such as blood tests or scans at another facility, bringing those results will be highly beneficial for a comprehensive assessment.
An initial private consultation typically lasts 30 minutes. This allows ample time for Mr Malik to take a detailed medical history, discuss your symptoms thoroughly, perform any necessary physical examinations, and outline a clear, personalised plan for further investigation or treatment.
You can schedule a private consultation by calling the dedicated booking line, sending an email to the medical secretary, or using the online appointment request form available on this website. The administrative team will assist you in finding a suitable date and location.
If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, we kindly request at least 24 to 48 hours’ notice. This allows us to offer the consultation slot to another patient who may require urgent specialist care. Late cancellations may be subject to a cancellation fee.
While we strive to accommodate urgent medical concerns as quickly as possible, same-day appointments are subject to clinic availability and cannot be guaranteed. If you are experiencing severe or rapidly worsening symptoms, please contact the clinic early in the day or seek immediate emergency medical care.
Yes, the administrative team will do their utmost to accommodate your preferred date and time. Clinics are held at specific times during the week at both the Colchester and Ipswich locations, and options will be provided to suit your schedule as closely as possible.
Mr Arshad Malik is fully recognised by and registered with all major private medical insurance providers in the UK. This includes Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality Health, WPA, and Allianz, among others.
Patients without private medical insurance are very welcome to self-fund their consultations and treatments. We provide clear, transparent pricing for initial consultations, follow-up appointments, and diagnostic procedures. For surgical treatments, fixed-price packages are often available through the respective private hospitals. Self-paid patients get the fastest access, usually within 48–72 hours, with no insurer paperwork or pre-authorisation required.
For self-paying patients, consultation fees are typically settled on the day of the appointment or shortly thereafter via an invoice. If you are insured, the invoice will be sent directly to your insurance provider, provided you have supplied your policy details and pre-authorisation code.
While consultation fees are generally required at the time of service, the private hospitals where Mr Malik operates (Oaks Hospital and Nuffield Health) often offer flexible payment plans or medical finance options for larger surgical procedures. Please enquire directly with the hospital’s billing department for details.
Mr Malik offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic and surgical treatments for colorectal and gastrointestinal conditions. This includes colonoscopy, gastroscopy, hernia repair, gallbladder surgery, and specialist surgical management for haemorrhoids, anal fissures, fistulas, pilonidal sinus disease, and colorectal cancers.
Yes, preventive care is a vital aspect of colorectal health. Mr Malik provides comprehensive bowel cancer screening services, including diagnostic colonoscopies and the safe removal of precancerous polyps (polypectomy), which significantly reduces the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Initial clinical examinations are performed during your consultation. Where clinically indicated, procedures such as proctoscopy or rigid sigmoidoscopy, including banding or injection sclerotherapy, may be performed in the outpatient clinic. More advanced tests, such as colonoscopy or imaging, are arranged at the Oaks Hospital or Nuffield Health Ipswich Hospital.
You have the right to access your medical records. Requests for copies of your clinical notes, consultation letters, or test results can be made to the medical secretary. Records can be emailed to you and are stored on secure platforms in accordance with data protection regulations.
Patient confidentiality and data security are of the utmost importance. All medical records, both digital and physical, are stored securely and processed in strict compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK healthcare privacy standards.
For reasons of patient confidentiality and to ensure information is communicated clearly, complex test results are typically discussed during a follow-up consultation. In some cases, normal or routine results may be communicated via a secure letter or a brief phone call from the clinical team, depending on prior arrangements.
Medical records are securely retained for the legally required period as stipulated by UK Department of Health guidelines and the General Medical Council (GMC). After this mandatory retention period, records are safely and securely destroyed.
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