The ReturnReady treatment-abroad checklist: are you ready to go — and to come back?

Clinic evidence is 20% of the score, and it's measured in disclosures, not impressions. The Check asks three things: has the operating surgeon been named? Has the exact facility been disclosed? Is the aftercare documented? An unnamed surgeon is the single biggest evidence gap — you cannot check credentials you haven't been given, so the Check flags it and hands you the question to send: who will perform my procedure, and what are their registration details? A named surgeon and facility are only the start, of course — the point of getting names is to verify them at source, on the professional register and the accreditor's register, which is the work our clinic-checking guide walks through.

Aftercare is another 20%, and the Check's framing is the same one that runs through this whole site: verbal reassurance is not a plan. It asks whether the aftercare protocol exists in writing, whether you have a 24/7 emergency contact route for problems in-country, and whether you've lined up a UK follow-up route for when you're home — because the NHS treats emergencies but won't reliably provide routine follow-up of private overseas work. A written protocol means named contacts, response times, a photo-review schedule, escalation criteria and who pays for what; our aftercare-policy checklist defines each component and translates the marketing phrases. If any of the three answers is no, the Check doesn't just dock points — it gives you the exact written question that turns the no into evidence.

Return-home readiness is 15% of the score, and it's the dimension people most often fail on autopilot: the return flight gets booked around annual leave and hotel prices, not recovery. The Check compares your treatment and return dates against typical minimum in-country stays by procedure — from around 3 days for fertility treatment and 5 for hair transplants and dental work, up to 10 for cosmetic surgery and 12 for bariatric and orthopaedic procedures — and flags a gap, because flying too soon is one of the most frequent causes of complications. These are orientation floors, not clearance: the treating surgeon's fit-to-fly confirmation is the decision that counts, which is why the checklist wants a changeable ticket. Travelling alone after major surgery earns a note too — the first 48 hours are the hardest to manage solo.

Documentation is the final 15%: the unglamorous dimension that decides how every other one performs under pressure. Before you pay, it means written refund and cancellation terms — the Check specifically flags a deposit paid without them, because after that the terms are whatever the clinic says they are. Before you fly home, it means the complete file: operation notes, implant details with lot numbers, discharge summary, medication list, fit-to-fly letter, itemised invoices and the escalation contact in writing — everything your GP, your insurer and any dispute will run on, collected while the clinic still wants something from you. The documents guide lists every item.

That's the whole method: five dimensions, each a set of yes/no facts you can establish before money moves. The interactive ReturnReady Check asks exactly these questions, weights them as described here, and returns a scored report in one of four bands — strong, moderate, weak or high-risk — with your specific gaps, red flags and the written questions to send your clinic. It's rule-based and it isn't medical advice: it will never tell you you're fit for surgery, only whether your planning and protection have holes. Work through the checklist below by hand, or take the Check and let it do the scoring — either way, the standard is the same: every answer in writing, before you pay.