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Guided consultant and hospital options explained

With a guided option, the insurer provides a shortlist of specialists or hospitals for you to choose from.

Published by Beyond Leads Limited · 27 October 2026

General information only, not insurance or medical advice. health-quote.co.uk is an FCA introducer, not a broker or insurer. We do not recommend policies or arrange cover.

Key points

A guided option restricts choice compared with an open referral, in return for different policy terms.

Choosing a specialist outside the shortlist may not be covered.

What to check in the policy documents

Policy terms differ between insurers. When looking at this topic, the documents to read are the policy summary, the full policy wording and your schedule. Points worth checking include: how the shortlist is provided; what happens if you want a different specialist; whether the option applies to all claims.

This page cannot confirm whether any person, condition or treatment would be covered. That depends on the insurer's terms and decision.

Who can answer questions about your situation?

health-quote.co.uk is a trading name of Beyond Leads Limited (FCA firm reference 940006). We are an introducer, not a broker or insurer, and we do not give prices, recommendations or advice.

If you send an enquiry, we introduce it to Complete Insurance, an FCA-authorised broker, who can discuss your requirements and explain any quotation. There is no obligation to proceed.

Sources

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