has anyone gone private for an op?

[KathH]

Rang hospital today to chase operation date for my hernia. Got told by the clerk that they'd cocked up and somehow i've been thrown out of the system and have to start whole ruddy thing again - need to go back to gp to get another referral etc etc. Rang drs only to discover i cant get an appointment with gp for 10 days! Have been waiting over a year and am fuming (ok i got pregnant in between which obviously wasnt their fault). My mum says she will pay for me to go private and i was wondering what peoples experiences of private healthcare were. I'm not in agony but it does really ache (its in my groin) and dont really fancy waiting another year only to get nowhere again. Good job I'm not an old person waiting for a hip replacement or something.

[ladymuck]

What do you want to know. Locally most of the doctors at our NHS hospital also run clinics at the local private hospital - but with longer appointment slots and shorter waiting lists. They still run "clinics" so you don't get a free choice of appointment (ds2 has to go for a hearing test, so I had a choice of Thursdays for example), and they'll have a set day or two for ops. Med students don't tend to be present. Nursing staff and facilites are usually good, and tend to be beter maintained and more private than NHS equivalent. But basically the medical knowledge is the same!

[KathH]

i think really whether it's worth it! BUPA have quoted between £1,500 and £2,500. Just didnt fancy waiting another year on NHS when they've said they can do it in about a fortnight (obviously very easy for me to say when mum has got the money for it!)

[acnebride]

Cor blimey kathh, what a botchup. Attack from both sides - can you get your GP to ring you back and discuss writing a letter/ringing the hospital to try and get an earlier date? Ring your Primary Care Trust and see if they can suggest anything?

I've never had private care but worked for a bit in a private hospital and once had a private consultant appt. If you know the operation you need, then I'd say go ahead. The private hosp near us does a thing where you agree a price with them before you go in, and the bill doesn't increase even if you have to stay longer for some reason. Have a look in the yellow pages and maybe go and talk to them. HTH

[Louise1980]

I havnt gone private but I have had an NHS op. Heres the story,

April 00 - Went for consultation was told 12-18mth wait. Found out I was pregnant in the mean time. Told the hospital and I had to be re-refered by GP.
Dec 00 - DS1 born
July 02 - DS2 born
Nov 02 - Re-refered by gp
Dec 02 - Consultation told again 18mth wait, but as Id been on list previously Id be first to be moved to sooner slot if i would take short notice.
May 03 - Phone call on tuesday to go in for pre-op assessment on friday. Phonecall on the monday to go in on the tuesday!

What Im saying is, get re-refered and see what happens. Granted my op wasnt because of anything medical and I wasnt in pain.

Also a friend of mine had same op, same surgeon and paid £4,800!! She didnt get teh after care I got as it wasnt included in the cost!!!

Sorry its so long!!

[ladymuck]

I'd be inclined to go back to the GP and force the issues a bit and see where you get. Yes, basically you'll be paying to jump the queue. Hard for anyone to put a value on for you.

[SofiaAmes]

My boss had his hernia operated on privately at the Hernia Centre in London. It was an outpatient operation under local anaesthetic (don't think this technique is offered on nhs) and he was back at work in the afternoon. Might be worth looking into.

[bobbybob]

My dh is just about to have a private hernia operation. He has to wait 3 weeks to see the surgeon and then has his op a week later (we pencilled it in as we didn't want to then have to wait again until August). That gives me some idea of what the public waiting times must be like.

I would say to go for it and take your mum up on the offer - you have enough on your plate with small children, without waiting to get healthcare.