HCA Healthcare UK Reviews 154

When my elderly mother went into the Wellington emergency care , they made me sign something , all in a hurry , and I paid a £5k deposit promising me that they would warn me when it was near being fully used . Which they never did. They charged me £2k a day for nursing but made me provide my own carer 24/7 and then the nursing was non existent. I have complained but they have refused to settle the outstanding debt at £2498 instead of £5k which they would reduce by 1k . All their letters are incorrect with no explanation

Date of experience: July 07, 2024

I went to the Portland Hospital in London for routine exams, and they are partnered with HCA, which processes the payment. I paid for the service immediately on the day, via credit cart.

About a month after, HCA sent me an invoice for that same amount. I called them to say I have paid this already, and they said that yes indeed it results that I paid at the hospital, but then... They claim that somehow the money was sent back to me.

Then there were months of back and forth, where I was calling my bank which every time confirms there's no trace of this money coming back. I provided HCA with my credit card statement, where there's no trace of any money returning after the payment.

They claim this payment is a negative line in their balance, gave me a transaction reference and said that I will have to pay. Once again my bank checked this transaction reference and it results that the money left my account and reached theirs.

HCA said they will issue a new statement for me and still want me to pay again for something I have paid already.

The amount of stress from this and the fact that I might end up double billed far outshines any good service I might have received.

Date of experience: January 21, 2025

I had full medical screenings with HCA in 2021 and 2022, and hoped to arrange a fresh screening in 2025. But, although the medical staff are good, the administration is dreadful. Messages sent by email or via the website to try to make an appointment receive an automated acknowledgement and then complete silence. This always happens. It's worse than the NHS! I am going to try BUPA instead.

Date of experience: June 07, 2025

Scam health care company.
I had consultation with one of their hopeless consultants. I even paid BFORE seeing him. Six years later I am bombarded and harassed with emails, texts, dept collectors ...etc. The first email 6 years after that consultation said that we looked into our books and see you did not pay! I thought it was a scam. Then after several harassments I called my bank, who confirmed that I did in fact pay!
This is a scam greedy company. I avoid any health care they are involved with. Their consultants rubbish, and services are a miss & hit at best.

Date of experience: June 18, 2024

Tried getting in touch with their urgent healthcare center in London. After calling the listed number on their website, spent 15 minutes going through redirects only to end up with someone who could not seem to hear me dur to bad voice equipment. Will not be calling again

Date of experience: June 17, 2025

I used this company to get a consultation related to a kidney problem. First consultation was £350 which I paid the day before. After that I was getting text messages from the consultant saying I had not paid her. When they called me I explained that I had paid.

I decided not to continue with this consultant. Next thing, I see on my credit card that £448 has been taken. There is absolutely no reason for this. I have had no further consultations or treatment. I have searched my gmail account for the amount, the company etc. and there is nothing at all related to this payment.

Date of experience: June 02, 2025

Lister Hospital London:
Important - clinical care has been excellent and supportive and I have no complaint. I have every confidence in the clinical teams.

However the clerical administration is frightening me. I have had messages sent to my phone but addressed to a totally different woman, emails sent to my email address but addressed to a man - are these people linked to me and my records and/or me to them? There have been multiple requests for the same information previously provided and when sent the invoice prior to admission I have been charged for an investigation that I have not had and medically is contra-indicated so cannot even have it.
Complaints are passed on to someone else, there does not seem to be a single point for "customer care" queries/complaints. No one seems to want to take responsibility for this clerical nightmare. Will this compromise my clinical care?

Date of experience: May 23, 2025

Awful place, diagnosed incorrectly and paid quiet a bit for wrong prescription, to add to my frustration a huge bill sent to me despite having privite cover, when contacted them to question the bill, notice they have charged me even for the prescription that I have already paid for. Stay way from this hospital both medical team and finance department are useless incorrect diagnosis and massive incorrect bill!

Date of experience: April 02, 2025

Avoid at all costs. I paid for the annual membership and had the checkup included, they did an additional heart monitor which I wasn’t told would be an additional charge, they simply charged my credit card a week or so later.

I contacted them asking what it was, and asked for it to be refunded as I didn’t consent for them to keep my card on file and charge it adhoc, nor had I been informed that there was an extra cost.

Back and forth over the phone for weeks, “someone will get back to you” but it never happened. EVENTUALLY I was told (when I called up a further time) that a refund for this charge would be processed, but it never was.

When I phoned back again just before Christmas they had no record that a refund was ever owed but they would investigate and someone would call me back in the New Year. Never happened.

They sent me an email in April confirming my annual renewal was due and it would go up by £20 so I asked to cancel and mentioned about the refund I was owed, yet again.

A response came “I will not renew your scheme in June and have forwarded your email to the relevant department to assist urgently with your refund request.”

And yet, no further email regarding the unauthorised charge to my card. Sadly I’m outside the chargeback period with my bank so I can’t even dispute it with them.

Avoid this company like the plague. They are a scam and they just want your money and bill your card on file whenever the hell they want.

Date of experience: November 01, 2024

If you’re suffering respiratory problems or you have to do a lung related procedure avoid this hospital all together. Now it’s 4.20 in the morning and I woke up to breathlessness and chest pain and elevated heart rate, despite how many lines and units they connect you to, no one even care what’s happening or monitor any of this machines! You still need to buzz the ring and wait for a lazy careless nurse to get to you on his/her own time. I had a non invasive procedure here and now suffering chest infection, chest pain, shortness of breath, elevated heart rate, fever and more other conditions and I’m feeling worse day by day here. Don’t even get close to this clinic, not only they are not professional at their work, but they are lacking human’s dignity. Nurses and doctors can’t even put a cannula in!! My both hands are bruised and sore and after 5 days don’t even have one good cannula which last longer than 24 hrs! this hospital is a jock! It’s a proper scam and disgrace. Avoid it if yours or your loved one’s life is important to you!

Date of experience: May 21, 2025

My daughter had a consultation with Dr. Sabharwal. Besides that the consultation was totally useless and he didn’t even read her files or add any useful information to us.
We received a very expensive consultation fees which wasn’t agreed with us, in addition he did an ultrasound which we never requested or discussed with us. The invoice was £611 for less than 15 minutes consultations.
They are trying to steal our money by force, be very careful when you deal with this thief’s.

Date of experience: May 01, 2025

I will forever be grateful to the fabulous nurses and doctors that brought me back from the brink, having been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2022, i was looked after extremely well and had to undergo extensive treatment lasting over 8 months, predominantly as a in patient, Thank you to London Bridge G3 ward you are simply the best, my treatment was £1500 a night, so I would expect to be treated well.
Now let’s fast forward to today, it’s extremely frustrating that I cannot get any response from my consultants secretary, also the specialist oncology resource, also no longer responds, so after 3 years it’s time to leave HCA, and find a new hospital better suited to my needs, there is a saying in life, a company can become too big, and I feel that is exactly what’s happened to HCA, there appears to be staff shortages.
They wanted to put important scans on hold until they received payment.

Date of experience: April 24, 2025

Seems like a common theme (or scam) to incorrectly bill for procedures patients didn't have.

Date of experience: April 18, 2025

I have attended a gynaecology appointment (paid in advance!) with one of the consultants at HCA on Harley Street, London, to ask for a second opinion on a diagnosis, when I arrived the receptionist registered me as new patient and she requested my card details before the appointment saying that no money will be taken out without my permission, I refused as it didn't seem right at all.
My appointment was purely a conversation about my concerns between me, my partner and the consultant and no procedure or tests been carried out at all.
When we left was asked by the same receptionist if any tests/scans have been done and I said NO.

After a week I've received a invoice on my name for an allegedly ultrasound for the amount of 451£ to be paid immediately.

They will unlawfully charge you for something that didn't happened and threaten you with letters and recovery companies with annual interest on the money you supposedly owe to them.

I have sent emails/making calls with no success, requesting a clarification on my situation, they just want to ripp you off.

They are taking advantage of people's health problems and make up tests on your accounts...
Please avoid this clinic.

Date of experience: April 07, 2025

If I could I would give this company zero stars.
Went to the pulmonologist at Harley Street. He recommended a bunch of tests. I only did two tests- an x ray and a blood test.
I wanted to pay for everything on the day. Reception kept arguing with me and wouldn’t accept any payment. They said the consultant’s PA would send me the invoices and arrange payment. The PA decided to disappear that afternoon even though it was 15:30 and still office hours; nobody could get hold of her and we were kept waiting for her to finally decide to contact us with the necessary details.
Eventually I got an invoice for the consultant fees which I promptly paid, and x ray results (which, due to some weird tech errors, I could only occasionally access) but no blood test results and no invoices for the tests I took.
Then suddenly HCA Healthcare attempted to take over £1000 from my bank account with no explanation or warning. I called HCA healthcare twice and wrote to them about this as well. Unfortunately a month later I still have not received the blood test results nor correct invoices. Turns out that HCA charged me for tests I never took. They have not fixed the issue despite promising to email me immediately after the call, and continue to generally be unresponsive, incompetent and unhelpful.
I see other customers have had similar experiences to me. Shame on HCA Healthcare that they refuse to learn from their mistakes

Date of experience: March 07, 2025

Absolutely dreadful customer service. Trying to take money from a card and don't even bother to send an invoice! So therefore caused all sorts of problems with banking and fraud. Apologetic, but no idea why this happened. As a private health care provider, I think Id prefer people who are administratively more competent!

Date of experience: March 28, 2025

I took a client to see the Dr Clare Kiely. The doc decided to do a biopsy just so the client could see why her skin had reacted to a product "incase she wondered in the future". At no point was I informed of the costs beforehand. As self pay, I had to sign a form beforehand to say that I understood that any HCA costs were separate but usually when you pay £325 for a doc consultation, you do not expect to be billed with nearly £900 extra (on top of the £790 doc costs!) with no prior warning for 'use of the facilities'! So nearly £1700 for a tiny skin biopsy procedure. There is no transparency at all.

Customer service just said it was correct and I was billed for 'use of the facilities'! The client was in the room for around 15min. I have cancelled the follow up appointment as Ive been totally ripped off once by them and am not going to put myself in a position to allow them to do this again. Im disgusted as they certainly DID NOT make me aware of the costs before performing the procedure. I even asked after and was told the invoice would be sent. They did not want to tell me face to face. Customer service said I should have asked for approximate costs before I arrived. However, how am I expected to know what the doc will do before the appointment is attended? Absolutely disgusted!

AVOID! AVOID! AVOID at all costs! Its a shame I only saw the other one star reviews after this happened to me too.

Date of experience: March 12, 2025

An old-fashioned institution with a bunch of useless employees in old, long-unrepaired rooms. The appearance of good service, intrusive emails and calls instead of online booking. It’s impossible to get results directly, even when you paid for them yourself. Outdated service for this price.

Date of experience: February 19, 2025

Obtained pre-authorisation for a consultation and X-Ray and provided the required Bupa pre-auth number online in the registration portal and also e-mailed the confirmation to HCA Healthcare.
Somehow the consultant's claim got paid by Bupa under the same pre-auth number but I then received an invoice for the X-Ray for £202.
I contacted HCA Healthcare on the same day I received the invoice i.e. 06/02/2025 and was told my account would be placed on hold whilst they investigate the issue.
On 17/02/2025 HCA Healthcare debited my credit card without any notification for £202.
I again contacted them on 20/02/2025 to enquire and they stated they had "no idea" why this has happened and someone "removed" the hold on my account resulting in my credit card being debited.
Again, I was assured they are waiting for payment from Bupa and will refund me once payment is received.
On 04/03/2025 (Nearly a month later) HCA Healthcare advised they still haven't received any payment from Bupa after chasing them again on 03/03/2025 for an update.
Logged into Bupa and was advised by Bupa that NO CLAIM for any amount of £202 was ever submitted by HCA Healthcare so leaves you wondering who is lying to who and whether people working in the accounts department at HCA Healthcare even know the difference between a debit and a credit.

Date of experience: March 04, 2025

I am not surprised at The lowly rating of HCA. Frankly they are a bunch of thieves who overcharge patients not by 10 or 20% but by charging double at least for procedures that can be obtained elsewhere. On complaining it was like speaking to a wall, frankly they couldn’t care less. Well, I’ve learnt my lesson and hope that those that read this review will check before agreeing an outrageous price for say a scan with HCA because they could get it a lot cheaper elsewhere.

Date of experience: January 10, 2025