Private thoracic surgery in London —
seen this week, not in four months.
If you are on an NHS waiting list for a chest or lung condition, or have a scan result you need answered urgently, private thoracic surgery offers a different timeline. This page explains honestly what private care looks like, what it costs, who it is right for, and what you can expect from the moment you make first contact.
If you're reading this page, there is almost certainly a specific reason. An appointment date that feels impossibly far away. A lung shadow on a scan that nobody has been able to definitively explain. A condition — a recurring collapsed lung, a pleural effusion that keeps returning, a chest wall problem that has never been properly addressed — that is affecting your daily life, your work, and your peace of mind.
Private thoracic surgery in London doesn't replace the NHS. It runs alongside it, offering a different pathway for patients who need faster access, more continuity, or simply the ability to choose their surgeon and their timeline. The NHS remains available to you regardless of any private treatment you choose — your entitlement is permanent and unchanged.
This page is written for patients who are genuinely considering the private route and want a clear, honest account of what it involves — not a sales pitch, but a practical explanation that helps you decide if it's the right choice for you.
"Private thoracic surgery is not a luxury. For patients with time-sensitive conditions — particularly early-stage lung cancer, rapidly recurring pneumothorax, or undiagnosed pleural disease — the difference between a one-week pathway and a four-month wait has clinical significance that goes beyond comfort."
— Mr Marco Scarci, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon, FRCS(Eng) FCCP FACS FEBTSThese are not abstract advantages. They are concrete, verifiable differences in how care is delivered — from the moment you make contact to the moment you receive your results.
From first contact to consultation, most patients are seen within 5–7 days. For urgent cases — a suspicious scan, rapidly recurring pneumothorax — same-week appointments are possible. The NHS pathway for a new thoracic referral typically takes 6–18 weeks.
Mr Scarci reviews all CT scans, MRI, PET scans, blood tests, and clinical letters before your consultation. You arrive at an appointment where the clinical picture is already understood — not one where the consultant is reading your notes for the first time.
You see Mr Scarci at consultation. He performs your surgery personally. He calls you with your biopsy results. He conducts your post-operative review. There is no relay between different team members, no registrar on the day.
Once a surgical plan is confirmed, the pathway to the operating theatre is 3–5 days for most elective procedures. For lung cancer patients specifically, this compression of the diagnostic-to-surgical interval is clinically significant.
Biopsy results are reviewed by Mr Scarci and discussed with you personally — by phone, within 24 hours of the laboratory report being available. You do not receive a letter. You do not wait weeks for a routine clinic appointment.
If you have private health insurance, the practice team handles pre-authorisation, insurer communication, and billing directly. You pay your policy excess; the practice manages everything else. Full written cost estimate for self-pay patients before any commitment.
Mr Scarci consults and operates at OneWelbeck, Harley Street Clinic (HCA), Bupa Cromwell Hospital, and Imperial Private Healthcare — four of London's leading private hospitals. No GP referral is required.
Ready to talk through your specific situation?A consultation gives you a clear picture of your diagnosis, your options, and exactly what private care would look like for your case — with no obligation to proceed.
Book a Consultation →This comparison is written to be genuinely useful, not to disparage the NHS. The NHS is excellent. These are specific, factual differences in how the two pathways work.
| What you're comparing | NHS pathway | Private with Mr Scarci |
|---|---|---|
| First appointment | 6–18 weeks typical outpatient wait after GP referral | Within 1 week of contact — no GP referral needed |
| Who you see | The next available consultant in the team rota | Mr Scarci — chosen by you, consistent throughout |
| Pre-appointment preparation | Notes may be reviewed on the day | All existing imaging reviewed before you arrive |
| Time from confirmed diagnosis to surgery | Weeks to months depending on pathway and trust | 3–5 days for most elective procedures |
| Who performs the operation | Consultant-led team; registrar involvement common | Mr Scarci personally, every time |
| Hospital accommodation | Shared ward (bay of 4–6 patients) | Private single room with en-suite |
| Biopsy results communicated | Letter sent; discussed at next clinic appointment | Mr Scarci calls you personally within 24 hours |
| Between-appointment access | Via GP or hospital triage line | Direct access to Mr Scarci |
| Insurance / cost | Free at point of use | Covered by insurance, or self-pay with 0% finance |
| NHS entitlement after going private | — | Completely unaffected — your NHS rights are permanent |
Going private does not mean leaving the NHS. Many patients have private surgery and return to NHS care for oncology follow-up, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. Mr Scarci provides full surgical documentation to NHS teams on request, and coordinates handover personally.
Mr Scarci's private thoracic surgery practice in London covers the full spectrum of chest and lung conditions. Click any condition for a full guide.
VATS lobectomy, wedge resection, segmentectomy, robotic resection
MDT review, staging reassessment, surgical candidacy evaluation
VATS bullectomy, pleurodesis, recurrent pneumothorax
Talc pleurodesis, VATS biopsy, indwelling pleural catheter
SSRF/ORIF titanium rib plating, flail chest, multiple fractures
Costal cartilage resection, Hooking Maneuver diagnosis
VATS and robotic thymectomy, myasthenia gravis
First rib resection, scalenectomy, TOS decompression
VATS plication for phrenic nerve injury, diaphragm paralysis
Thoracic endometriosis, diaphragmatic repair, MDT care
Cardiac assessment, titanium plate fixation, sternal nonunion
Costochondritis, intercostal neuralgia, chest wall pain
VATS drainage, decortication, pleural space clearance
Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum correction
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) for excessive sweating
ETS sympathectomy for uncontrollable facial redness
For patients unfamiliar with private care, the process can feel opaque. Here is exactly what happens, step by step.
Call 020 7459 4367, book online at the Carebit portal, or message via WhatsApp. Namita, the assistant practice manager, coordinates your appointment and asks for any existing scan results to be sent ahead. No GP referral is needed. If you have private health insurance, she checks your coverage at this stage — before you spend anything on a consultation.
Your existing imaging and clinical history has already been reviewed. The consultation — typically 30–45 minutes — covers your diagnosis clearly, all treatment options available, what each involves, and what happens next. You leave with a plan, not more uncertainty. Remote consultations are available for patients outside London or internationally.
Any additional pre-operative tests are arranged promptly. If you are insured, pre-authorisation is obtained by the practice team on your behalf. The operating date is confirmed. Patients who are self-paying receive a full written cost breakdown at this stage with no commitment required until they confirm.
Mr Scarci performs the procedure. The anaesthesia and theatre teams at your chosen hospital are briefed in advance. For VATS procedures — the most common — you are typically mobile the same day or the day after surgery, and home within 1–4 days depending on procedure complexity.
Pathology results are reviewed by Mr Scarci personally and discussed with you by telephone within 24 hours of the laboratory report. You receive a clear explanation of what the results mean, what treatment is recommended next, and what the plan is. If oncology, radiotherapy, or other specialist input is indicated, referrals are made and coordinated at this stage.
Post-operative review is scheduled before discharge. Respiratory physiotherapy (Emily Lockwood, Air Physiotherapy — Royal Brompton trained) is available for patients who would benefit from structured pulmonary rehabilitation. Nutritional support and psychological support are also available through the practice. Direct access to Mr Scarci for clinical questions remains throughout the recovery period.
If you have a Bupa, AXA, Aviva, Vitality, Cigna, WPA, or other major UK health insurance policy, thoracic surgery is covered as a medically necessary procedure. The practice handles pre-authorisation and billing directly — you pay your excess only.
Many patients fund their own care privately — either because they don't have insurance, or because they want to move faster than authorisation timelines allow. Full written estimates are provided before commitment. 0% interest-free finance over 12 months is available for most surgical procedures.
If you have been given an NHS appointment date that is months away and you have a condition affecting your quality of life or involving a potential malignancy, private care offers a meaningfully faster pathway. The decision to go private doesn't close any NHS doors.
If you have received a lung cancer diagnosis, been told you're not a surgical candidate, or been offered a treatment plan you'd like a second view on, a private consultation provides an independent expert assessment with access to all current evidence and treatment options.
Mr Scarci sees patients from across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States for complex thoracic surgery. Initial consultations can be conducted remotely. The practice coordinates all aspects of the visit including hospital accommodation and post-operative planning.
Some patients choose to have surgery privately but continue NHS oncology, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. Mr Scarci is very familiar with these mixed pathways and manages handover to NHS teams personally.
Mr Scarci practises at four London private hospitals, allowing patients to choose the most convenient or most appropriate location for their procedure.
1 Welbeck Street, Marylebone W1G 0AR. Adjacent to Harley Street — one of London's newest and most comprehensively equipped private hospitals.
Consultations · Procedures35 Weymouth Street W1G 8BJ. Premier private hospital in the heart of London's medical district, with full thoracic surgical facilities.
Consultations · SurgeryCromwell Road, South Kensington SW5 0TU. One of London's largest and most established private hospitals, with a dedicated thoracic programme.
Consultations · SurgerySainsbury Wing, Hammersmith Hospital W12 0HS. Part of Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust — combining academic centre expertise with private care standards.
Consultations · Surgery"As a doctor myself, I can say with utmost confidence that you will simply not find a cardiothoracic surgeon with the same depth and breadth of knowledge as Mr Marco Scarci. I am travelling to him from the United States despite being affiliated with Johns Hopkins. He deserves to be in the surgical hall of fame."
"From the moment I walked into Mr Scarci's office, I felt like I was in control of my healthcare journey again. What would have been four months of NHS waiting became fourteen days from first phone call to surgery."
"In one consultation, he offered clarity on conditions I have been trying to speak to doctors about for two years. I am completely stunned and so happy to have found him — a positive plan forward where there had been none."
"Clear and concise communication during the initial consultation, excellent follow-up, and subsequent surgery that was stress-free due to his professional and empathetic approach. Genuinely could not recommend him more highly."
A consultation with Mr Scarci gives you a clear diagnosis, a complete assessment of your options, and a written treatment plan — with no obligation to proceed. Most patients are seen within one week of first contact.
020 7459 4367
020 7459 4367