Appointment FAQs

For new patients the cost of a clinical consultation is determined by complexity of your medical problem and ranges from €200 up to €275. The complexity of your problem is determined in advance by information from your referring doctor so you will be notified in advance of your appointment.

The charge for follow up appointments (for those patients seen in the last 2 years by Dr. Kavanagh) is €170.

Payments can be made using debit card, credit card or cash.

Patients wishing to attend a consultant medical specialist should be referred by their GP. We regret that we are unable to see patients without referral.

The referral letter is also an important source of information about your background medical history, investigations relevant to your problem and helps us greatly in prioritising the urgency of your medical problem.

If you have any questions about appointments contact us.

Appointments are offered quickly on receipt of a referral letter. Patients can be see quickly in the event of an emergency.

For outpatient consultations, you will be expected to ‘pay as you go’ and then, at the end of the year (around the anniversary of your policy), submit receipts to your insurer. Over the year there is usually a shortfall (about €400 – depending on your policy) which you will have to pay yourself and after that, your insurer will reimburse you with a fixed amount for each consultation.

There may be additional costs for injections, depending on the complexity of the consultation and your medical problem. The additional cost of injections performed can usually be billed directly to your insurance company

For most outpatient tests (e.g. blood tests and x-rays) performed in hospital you will be liable for the cost of the test when it happens. You will then collect your receipts and at the end of the year (again, subject to a shortfall, which you will have to fund yourself) submit them to your insurer.

Please ask at reception for an estimate of hospital charges.

Medical expenses that are not paid by your insurer can be claimed against income tax. You can find out more information from revenue here.

Most of the insurance companies will directly reimburse the hospital performing your MRI scans provided they are requested by a consultant. It is no longer necessary to be admitted to hospital to have your MRI scans covered. Some insurers place some further restrictions on scanning by limiting cover to a list of specific medical indications for scanning.

At present, the VHI Irish Life, ESB and Garda Medical Aid will provide direct payment for MRI scans (where referred by a consultant) in the Galway Clinic, Bon Secours Hospital Galway and Merlin Park Imaging Centre (also Barrington’s Hospital (Bon Secours) in Limerick).

Those insured by Laya are covered in The Galway Clinic and Barrington's Hospital. Those insured by GMA and ESB are covered in most MRI centres.

Its always an idea to check with your insurer but our office staff will usually be in a position to advise you at the time you are referred for a scan.

Your medical card cannot be used to pay blood tests, x-rays or MRI scans in a private hospital.

If you have your x-rays (relevant to your medical problem) performed in another hospital, please bring them with you to your appointment.

If tests are performed by your GP it will save on the cost of follow up visits purely to review the results of blood tests. If you have blood tests or x-rays arranged by your GP, remember that it takes a couple of weeks to get the blood test results, and you will also need to retrieve your x-ray images from the X-Ray Department where you have your x-rays taken. Allow yourself plenty of time to organise this.

A letter will be issued to you at the time of your first visit (or at any time on your request) which will allow you to retrieve your x-ray images from another hospital should you need to do so.

Please remember to bring all your test results with you on your appointment day.