To think it’s so wrong that if you have money you can jump NHS waiting lists?

[ImaHogg]

I have some gynae issues. I had a scan in September 2020 and a telephone consultation with a gynaecologist. I was told that I need a hysteroscopy with a biopsy and to remove some polyps.
Obviously due to Covid I, alongside so many others am now on a waiting list. I (and my gp) have chased many times but just get told they have absolutely no idea when my procedure will be.
I am getting problems from the issues I have and have had enough so rang my local private hospital to ask if they do this procedure (can not really afford to go private but I am getting desperate and wanted to know how much it may be). I was told they don’t do this procedure at this hospital but there may be an ‘alternative’! They would talk to the gynaecologist and get back to me.
They rung back to say they had spoken with the gynaecologist and he would be happy for me to have a consultation at the private hospital (£150) then I would need an ultra sound scan (I would have to have this done at the private hospital even though I have a copy of the NHS one from September, same gynaecologist), then he would be able to do the hysteroscopy but at my local NHS hospital - wtf!!
So basically for a fee of £2000 I can skip the NHS waiting list, skip the luxury surroundings of the private hospital and have the same procedure at the same NHS hospital that I have currently been on a 8 month waiting list.
So if you have money you can push back NHS waiting lists even further by flashing the cash!

[NoSquirrels]

Most consultants in the NHS also see private patients alongside, for a fee. You would be paying for the operation as a private patient - you’d no longer be on the NHS waiting list. Isn’t that what you expected when you rang to go private?

[DrinkFeckArseBrick]

I think this is fairly common. Consultants seem to do some NHS and some private, and some procedures cant be done in private settings so I know others when they have been having private treatment that some elements have been at the nhs hospitals.

I think the real issue though is that the nhs is in such a state that waiting lists for non 'urgent' things are ridiculously long and that they can't even tell you how long, and this forces people to go private because even though they arent medically urgent they are massively affecting peoples lives. And then the more that people use private, the less resources the nhs get. It's a mess

[LadyGAgain]

Standard practice.

[Vooga]

If People who can afford it go private then surely that shortens the waiting list.

[Thislittlefinger123]

But you wouldn't be getting the procedure done by the NHS??

[Aprilx]

No you cannot jump the NHS waiting list, you can go private. It shortens the NHS waiting list for others.

[Lockheart]

Lots of consultants work both for the NHS and privately. Some work just for the NHS, some work only from private clients.

This consultant does both. So you can either go on their NHS list and wait for their next available date, or you can pay their private consultation fee and go on the likely much shorter list.

[motogogo]

Many hospitals host private clinics on Saturdays for instance for these sorts of procedures. It's a win win, the hospital gets revenue from renting the space and equipment, and the nhs waiting list shortens

[shouldistop]

So you're paying privately for the procedure? I don't understand the problem.

[Pinkdelight3]

So you're not going to do it on principle then, I assume?

[CharlotteRose90]

Completely normal practice and I’d pay for it quite happily. I’ve paid privately before as the waiting times were lengthy. If you can afford it do it.

[torquewench]

But you wouldnt be jumping an NHS waiting list if you went private, the whole point of it is that theres no queue. This also happens the other way around where I live - a lot of stuff is done in a private hospital by/for the NHS to reduce waiting times.

[ImaHogg]

For clarification, I enquired at the private hospital as that is where I thought I would have the procedure, I never thought for a second it would be at an NHS hospital.
Surely if I were to pay privately and then go to my local NHS hospital that is taking the time slot of someone who could be an NHS patient?

[ImaHogg]

I didn’t realise this was standard practice?

[Cathie102]

I think I understand what you mean. I’ve had friends who have paid for private consultatations and then they get referred back to the NHS under the same consultant but it takes much less time.
Tbh I don’t blame the person who does this. Both people I’ve known were at their wits end and had the money. BUT I do blame the system. The NHS is broken. Badly so.

[NoSquirrels]

I think you’ve misunderstood the whole set-up - the private hospital can’t physically do your procedure at their premises, but they can offer it by renting the equipment at the NHS hospital to do so. The consultant works for both the NHS and private. Your procedure would be offered on his ‘private’ list day at the NHS facilities but nothing to do with the NHS waiting list.

[NoSquirrels]

@ImaHogg

For clarification, I enquired at the private hospital as that is where I thought I would have the procedure, I never thought for a second it would be at an NHS hospital.
Surely if I were to pay privately and then go to my local NHS hospital that is taking the time slot of someone who could be an NHS patient?

No. The consultant is not paid by the NHS on that day, he is paid by his private practice. The NHS do not offer your procedure on that day, because they have rented the space & do not have the staff (the consultant is not free to work for them that day).

[EssentialHummus]

I think the real issue though is that the nhs is in such a state that waiting lists for non 'urgent' things are ridiculously long and that they can't even tell you how long, and this forces people to go private because even though they arent medically urgent they are massively affecting peoples lives. And then the more that people use private, the less resources the nhs get. It's a mess

This. It’s not the sign of a functioning health service that people are living their lives affected by moderate to severe medical issues for months, sometimes years on end, and expected to swallow it because the great god NHS has turned its focus elsewhere.

[torquewench]

I think some surgeries have to be done in NHS hospitals due risk/complexity - eg someone I knew had a stomach cancer diagnosis privately with BUPA through his employment, but the surgery to remove his stomach was done in an NHS hospital due to the risks involved and the necessity for him to be in an intensive care bed following it.

[NoSquirrels]

We could all pay more taxes and stop bloody voting Tory as a country and then the NHS might have a fighting chance. Most people don’t want to pay higher taxes.

[RandomLondoner]

Actually I think the OP could be right about this. I think it is possible to get NHS treatment sooner by having a private consultation (instead of an NHS one) prior to the treatment.

The consultation is a necessary step in the treatment pathway, so you have taken some pressure of the NHS by having that privately.

[Ostara212]

@ImaHogg

For clarification, I enquired at the private hospital as that is where I thought I would have the procedure, I never thought for a second it would be at an NHS hospital.
Surely if I were to pay privately and then go to my local NHS hospital that is taking the time slot of someone who could be an NHS patient?

So you pay a private fee but don't get the posh hospital? I know that's not what you're asking but it struck me.

The private sector profit twice - once because you were forced there, second because you aren't using their facilities? Why can't you have the op in the posh place?

[Carycy]

It works Both ways as well. DH has had nhs procedures as private hospitals.

[RandomLondoner]

It used to be that the NHS was fiercely political about this, it used not to let you mix private and public care in order to get faster treatment. I think that was explicitly changed by a recent government. (A change I agree with.)

[Ostara212]

@NoSquirrels

I think you’ve misunderstood the whole set-up - the private hospital can’t physically do your procedure at their premises, but they can offer it by renting the equipment at the NHS hospital to do so. The consultant works for both the NHS and private. Your procedure would be offered on his ‘private’ list day at the NHS facilities but nothing to do with the NHS waiting list.

Pretty sure my auntie went private for a hysterectomy.