NHS Pathway & Private Options Navigator

Know exactly what to ask for, and what private care actually costs — before you're the one asking. There's no single national NHS waiting-time figure for fibromyalgia, and rheumatology isn't the default referral most people expect. Knowing the real structure, and the right thing to ask for, changes how a referral conversation goes.

What's inside

• A working-the-system checklist — including the self-referral route to NHS community physiotherapy that many people never find out about, and the exact wording to ask for a multidisciplinary pain or fibromyalgia programme rather than general advice.
• Three named UK programmes worth knowing by name, not just as an abstract idea.
• An honest private-care cost table — physiotherapy, medical cannabis clinics, pain psychology — plus how to check who you're actually paying, via the HCPC and CNHC registers.
• A record section to track where you are in the process.

How to use it

Work through the checklist before you ask for anything — starting with whether self-referral is available in your area. Keep the cost table and registration checks to hand if you're weighing up going private.

Where it fits

This tool puts chapter 8 of Treating Fibromyalgia: A Compassionate Guide to Medication — “Finding Your Way Through the NHS (and Where Private Care Fits)” — directly into your hands for the conversation itself. It's one of four practical tools in the Managing Treatment collection — pair it with the Appointment & Treatment Conversation Prep sheet for how to open that conversation once you're in the room.

Information and organisational support only. This is not medical or legal advice and does not diagnose, treat or cure any condition. NHS referral pathways, self-referral availability and waiting times vary by area and change over time. Private-care figures are indicative market rates, not quotes — confirm directly with any provider before booking.