Would you pay to have this done privately?

[Topplace]

I've never used private medical care and TBH struggle with the idea of buying better or quicker care than is available to others.

I'm a runner. It's huge part my life, all my social life and general wellbeing is tied up with it. I haven't been able to run for the last few weeks because I have a minor condition causing pain.

It's something the NHS might treat, if I can convince them it's having a big enough impact, but I'd guess nothing will happen quickly.

I have an appointment with a private consultant (£210). £210 isn't a lot of money to me, I'd spend it on running shoes! but somehow this seems like a terrible extravagance. Also, of course, £210 won't be the end of it, it will likely need minor surgery, and maybe that's one worry, I don't know where it will end.

But, I have the money. I could spend up to say £10k, maybe more, without it impacting on my standard of living/retirement plans. It is a lot of money though!

And what happens next time? Perhaps next time I'll want urgent care for something more serious...?

I realise these thoughts are not entirely rational but the decision is creating a lot of conflicting thoughts in my mind!

Yes, without a doubt.

The nhs, even when it is functioning to the best of its ability, is there to support population health. You are the only person who understands your personal, individual needs. Your case is unlikely to reach the threshold of ‘urgent’ for an organisation dealing with the health of the population, but it sounds like it has already reached that threshold for you personally and you’re in a position to take action. So why wouldn’t you?

Of course! It’s for a health issue so is hardly extravagant. A good sense check is whether you would spend that if the issue was for your child, or even your pet.

The consultation is definitely worth it - there are likely to be other options than surgery

What operation is it, if she can't afford it how will she pay you back, she should apply for the payment plan or wait on the nhs list.. how did she pay for the private consultation, she could have asked for a 2nd nhs opinion.

You’re not hurting anyone by getting faster medical care. You’re not taking away an appointment you’re actually freeing up an NHS spot for someone.

Just do it and stop being a martyr who thinks they should experience pain in the name of equality.

If you do need surgery the specialist can forward their results etc to your GP who can then switch back into NHS care.

The NHS is there to keep us functional, not WELL.

I paid for blood tests over the weekend privately (£150), it came with a bog standard report saying my results are normal. They are not OPTIMAL. I’m tired, low energy and my hair is falling out because my iron and testosterone are too low.

So now I am going to pay for the triple iron test and an infusion - likely £300

And I’m going to be more focused on putting my testosterone on every day (and buy more at a cost of £135)

both of the above, along with increasing protein intake further should make a difference to my quality of life. I need energy for work.

From a different perspective op, i’ve paid for private surgery for both my children. They were 5 and 1 at the time of the operations.

I only went private due to completely failing care from the NHS.

Would you feel it was morally wrong to pay for better care if it were your young children?

Don’t feel guilty about giving yourself better health.

Definitely do it.

I went to the NHS for an eye lump removal. It was officially the worst and scariest experience of my life. I spent about 7hrs waiting around getting more and more scared, and it felt like a conveyor belt. I still have flashbacks over it - and I am quite roughty toughty, but that was nightmarish.

There is a chance that I will need it done again in the future, and without a shadow of a doubt I will go privately. I want to walk in at an appointment time, get seen fairly promptly, have it done and walk out. I couldn't care less what it costs me, I just know that the next time around, I don't want to go via the NHS.

Yes def and I’m a retired health professional. You won’t get better treatment imo but you will free up an NHS appointment for someone else. I would

Topplace · 26/02/2026 10:35
I've never used private medical care and TBH struggle with the idea of buying better or quicker care than is available to others.

If you struggle with the idea then don’t do it.

I get private health cover through work, but have to pay an excess so never used it. Last year I developed a foot condition that was really affecting my quality of life, couldn't even walk 10 mins and was dreading the school run every day. Went to the GP- 6m waiting time for a podiatrist as it wasn't urgent. Paid to see one privately and appointment in a week. In my experience, the NHS is brilliant for acute and serious conditions, but for more minor things you choose to pay or live with it.

My experience is that for sports related injuries then private is better and quicker.
I've been trying to get treatment for a hip injury through the NHS for years but because I was ( relatively) young and still active they didn't really take it seriously.

I booked to see a hip specialist privately in February and was diagnosed within a week and had a hip replacement in June! I could have had it earlier but I delayed it doe to work commitments.

The NHS wouldn't even send me for a scan and just told me to try physio.

If the specialist is an NHS consultant they can make a referral for NHS care themselves. You join the care pathway at the same point as if you had had your private care on the NHS.

Eg, Suppose you have a mammogram done privately and it shows a problem. The private radiologist who read the results can refer you to your area NHS Breast Clinic just as if you had had an NHS mammogram. The clinic will examine your results and background data and plan your appointment accordingly.

Someone said on another thread that if there is a chance of needing nonemergency NHS care for the condition at any point it is good to be referred back for the initial op, because once you start down a private care pathway you are technically ineligible for NHS treatment for that condition. I don’t know if this is right, and I don’t know if the phrasing means that in practice this restriction is often ignored.

Topplace · 26/02/2026 10:35
I've never used private medical care and TBH struggle with the idea of buying better or quicker care than is available to others.

I was offered a simple NHS procedure last year for a frozen shoulder. My second one. Excruciatingly painful, long-lasting chronic condition. The optimum time for having this treatment is within 12 weeks of the onset of the pain, the NHS waiting list was 24 weeks. Having spent the previous 2 years struggling with the same thing on my other shoulder you can bet I paid to go private at a clinic in the next city. It stopped it in it's tracks (not resolved but I wasn't expecting it to). Worth every penny and sleepless night due to the pain.

Oh dear. Guilt tripping yourself into holding onto pain? Pretzel brain.

See it as freeing up a space for an NHS patient if it helps

I have gone private for several things in the last few years, due to waiting times on the NHS and how awful they are in general. I don’t see any reason as to why you should feel guilty. If anything, it’s doing the NHS a favour. You’re not utilising a service you are entitled to, and saving them money!

The NHS keeps us alive. It doesn’t keep us healthy and actually it is able to function by ignoring proactive healthcare so more people get sick (at which point they swoop in and you’re expected to clap GPs who insist on only doing NHS work p/t so they have time to spend on private work).

For the moment private healthcare is the only thing that can keep anyone healthy in the UK, but do shop around. You can often combine a holiday & get better quality minoe surgery by going to Europe / India / Malaysia / the UAE.