Keep It Together Care

How to use this guide

Getting a Second Medical Opinion: A Practical Guide for Patients and Families

This guide explains how a second medical opinion usually works in the UK, on the NHS or privately, and helps you ask for one, get your records together and keep track of what each doctor said. It doesn't tell you whether to get one, or judge which opinion is right.

Get the free guide

On a phone, tablet or computer

Fill it in by typing

  1. Download the PDF from your email or from the download page.
  2. Open it in a PDF app that supports forms, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader (free on computers, phones and tablets).
  3. Tap a box and type. Tick boxes tick with one tap.
  4. Save the file. Your answers stay in your copy; nothing is sent to Keep It Together Care.

On paper

Print it and write by hand

  1. Print it on A4. The rows and boxes are sized for handwriting.
  2. Write what each doctor said in their own words, with the date.
  3. Keep it with your letters and results, and take it to the appointment.

Video walkthrough

Coming soonComing soon

A short video showing how to fill in this guide is on its way.

Common questions

Do I need to read it all?
No. Start with "Start here" and "Is a second opinion the right next step?". Use the trackers when you reach that stage.
Where do I write what each doctor said?
On "What the second doctor said". Copy their words as closely as you can. Anything unclear becomes a question for the next appointment.
Does the guide tell me which doctor or hospital to choose?
No. It explains the usual routes and helps you keep track. Choosing is for you and your clinical team.
I typed into it, but my answers had gone when I opened it again. Why?
Some previews, such as a browser tab or an email preview, can't save answers in a form. Download the PDF first, open it in a PDF app that supports forms, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, then save.
Is anything I write sent anywhere?
No. The PDF doesn't send your answers to Keep It Together Care or to anyone else. They stay in the file on your device, or on your paper copy.

What’s inside

  • Start here: what a second opinion is, and what it is not
  • Is a second opinion the right next step?
  • Weighing it up: including asking about timing
  • How to ask: NHS and private routes
  • If you are finding it hard to get a referral
  • Getting your records together
  • Referral tracker
  • Preparing for the appointment
  • What the second doctor said: in their words
  • Afterwards: deciding what happens next
  • Sources and support

Practical organisation, not medical advice. Your own care team’s advice always comes first. See all free help