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The questions to ask, at the stage you are at

Most people leave a consultation realising too late what they should have asked. These are 490 questions pulled from every guide in the library and sorted by when you need them. Print the stage you are at, or open it on your phone in the waiting room.

Every one of these is a fair question that a hospital can answer. If a question is brushed aside, treated as rude, or answered with “trust us” — that is information too.

25 operations covered

Recovery at home

Warning signs that need a phone call, when you can work and drive again, and what follow-up you are owed.

Surgery safety

Anaesthesia: the questions that make your operation safer

  • Can I have a copy of the anaesthetic record and the discharge summary?
  • Was my airway difficult, and is there anything a future anaesthetist must know?
  • When exactly do I restart the medicines that were stopped?
  • Which symptoms in the next two weeks mean I should come back rather than wait for the follow-up?
Read the full guide
Rights guide

Consent, records and your rights: what you can insist on before you sign

  • Who is your designated grievance officer, and what is the written complaints process?
  • May I have a complete copy of my case file, including nursing charts and the drug chart?
  • Was what happened to me a recognised complication of this operation, and was it in the risks I was told about?
  • Is the treatment of this complication covered under the package I already paid for?
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Rights guide

Implants, stents and lenses: the prices that are capped by law, and how to check yours

  • May I have a complete copy of my case file including the implant records?
  • Was the implant charged within the ceiling price and the permitted trade margin?
  • Does my implant restrict any future scans or require antibiotic cover for dental work?
  • Does this implant need periodic review, and at what interval?
  • If this needs revision in future, will these components still be available?
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Common operation

Kidney stones: the size decides, not the pain

  • How much fluid should I drink each day?
  • What type was my stone, and what does that mean for my diet?
  • Do I need blood tests or a 24-hour urine test to find the cause?
  • When is my next scan?
  • What pain relief should I keep at home for fragment passage?
  • At what point does pain or fever mean I must return?
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Safety guide

Surgical site infection: what actually prevents it, and what you can insist on

  • Has a sample of the discharge been sent for culture, and what did it grow?
  • Is this infection at skin level or does it involve the deeper tissue or the implant?
  • Will this need a procedure to drain or clean it, or antibiotics alone?
  • Is the treatment for this complication covered under the package I already paid, and can I have that in writing?
  • How long until this wound is expected to be fully healed, and what is the plan if it is not?
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Works for every operation

If your surgery is not in the library yet

These apply to any procedure, anywhere. They are the five things that decide whether an operation was necessary, safe, honestly priced and properly consented.

1

Whether you need this operation at all

  • What happens if I do nothing for three months? Name the specific risk.
  • Is this an emergency, is it urgent, or is it planned? Say which one.
  • What non-surgical treatment exists, and why is it not right for me?
  • Which test result or examination finding makes surgery necessary?
  • How many people with my exact findings get better without surgery?
2

Who operates, and with what experience

  • Who performs the operation, and will that person be present for all of it?
  • What is their qualification in this specific procedure?
  • Will any part be done by a trainee, and who supervises?
  • Who gives the anaesthetic, and are they a qualified anaesthetist?
  • How many of these do you do in a year?
3

Money, in writing, before you sign

  • Give me a written estimate that includes implants, ICU and consumables.
  • What is not covered by that estimate?
  • What happens to the price if I stay longer than planned?
  • Which implant or device are you using, and what does it cost?
  • If my insurance rejects part of this, what do I owe?
4

Consent that is actually informed

  • What are the three most common complications, and how often do they happen here?
  • What is the worst realistic outcome?
  • Can I take the consent form home and read it before signing?
  • Can I have a copy of everything I sign?
  • Am I allowed a second opinion first? (You always are.)
5

Recovery, said out loud before you agree

  • How many days off work, honestly?
  • What will I not be able to do, and for how long?
  • What follow-up is included, and what is charged separately?
  • Which symptoms after discharge mean I should come back immediately?
  • Who do I call at 2am if something goes wrong?

Long-form checklists

Written checklists with the reasoning included

These explain why each question matters, which helps if you are the family member doing the asking.

Surgery checklist

Hernia surgery: questions to ask before admission

A simple patient-family checklist for consent, anesthesia, billing clarity, infection prevention, and discharge.

4 min read
Two things this page cannot do. It cannot tell you whether you need surgery — only an examination and your reports can. And it is not a reason to delay: some conditions get dangerous quickly, and each guide says so at the top. If your symptoms are severe or sudden, stop reading and call 112 or 108.