Dr Ian Thomson Hay

A dream of a pediatrician. I highly recommend Dr. Hay.
Having a small child is a myriad of questions and puzzles.
…“is this normal?”
…“what is THAT?”
…“how long will this last?”
…“why so much drool?”
…“how many teeth is this kid going to have?”
…“when is a fever too hot?”
(you get the idea!)
While my NHS visits have been totally satisfactory, when my son reached around 11 months of age, I wanted a very through and complete exam to ask as many questions as I wanted to without feeling rushed and scurried out. So I booked a consultation on a recommendation with Dr. Ian Hay. I called and very easily booked the appointment with his receptionist (very friendly) and then was sent a text reminder right away, and then a few days before the appointment. Availability was good so it didn’t take too long to get in.
His office and practice are within the Portland, where my son was born. The standard of care is obviously very excellent. It comes at a price (*see below), but I left feeling it was very worthwhile.
My son has developed really well, but I’ve been consistently worried about eczema on his tummy and back, arms/​legs. I’d been told at NHS it was likely fine but when your kid has red patches all over, it’s a bit concerning even if everything else seems AOK.
Dr. Hay did a complete exam (eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, body, weight, activity level, development, etc) and then clearly explained the cause of eczema (genetic — ugh, husband I blame you! kidding), and how to help treat it, and that he’d likely grow out of it eventually. I’d been stressing out thinking it was deeply caused by some allergy or food intolerance, when in reality its pretty normal (and has already started to disappear a bit as of this writing a few weeks later!). He was very patient and explained it really clearly. I never felt rushed or that my questions were a bother.
His office is spacious and easy to find (very near Great Portland Street tube and across the street from the main hospital). You’ll check in downstairs where they’ll collect your details and payment options and then you’ll head up to the office. Dr. Hay greeted us himself and then conducted the appointment.
Very kind, gentle and sweet with the children as well. You’d think that’d be a given, but its not always the case. He is a true pro and respects the child as much as the parent. I left feeling really happy that I’d made the appointment and that I have a trusted doctor if we ever need something more serious to be looked at. NHS has been great for the quick questions, general checks, vaccines, etc (and thank God for the option), but for a really through exam and questions, I’ll be going back to Dr. Hay.
*Dr. Hay’s private practice at Portland Hospital is just that, private. Thus, patients are expected to pay out of pocket. I am very lucky in that my insurance covers these expenses at 100 percent. If you are going through insurance, do note you’ll be expected to self pay and then get reimbursed, they do not bill insurance directly. A regular office visit is £280.