to wonder if anyone pays for private healthcare?

[happyhoggy]

well, do you get the same questions like those who pay for education?

I certainly don't.

I've had nothing but positive expereinces with the NHS and the care I've had recently is second to none. I don't see the point of paying privately given the expereince I've had.

But of course, not everyone has good experiences.

yes we do

and no we don't

HTH

No - but if I had the money I'd take out insurance. I've paid privately for the odd initial consultation because NHS waiting lists were so long and for an early scan when pregnant (NHS wouldn't scan me as it was apparently too early and I was having bleeds).

I've health care type insurance where you can claim money back for things such as dental treatment and eye tests and money for physio and consultants (up to a limit).

We're all insured. Not very visible so fewer people care. It isn't the quality of care IMO it's the convenience of getting an appointment around work/school commitments. For example, when I needed a minor op, it had to take place when DH could take a few days off to look after the DC. When the DS needed an op, it had to fit in with my work commitments. That's the bit you can't do with the NHS.

I do.
I've got SPD, I'm disabled, I've exhausted the (feeble) NHS options for treatment, and also exhausted my health insurance, and now I'm digging into my own pockets. It's very dispiriting tbh.

What activate said.

Had health insurance with employer which has sped up op from a waiting list, and enabled me to go back to work 6 months earlier than had I been with the NHS.

I have faith in the NHS don't get me wrong, but am now in the land of private health insurance (Switzerland) and healthcare is worlds apart.

I still balk at paying so much for it though and am glad I don't live in the USA at least.

A lot of people go private for one off things if the queue or speed of recovery is too long on the NHS I think. Especially if you are self employed for example, you may have to put cost before principles. I'm sure going forward with cuts there will be less elective surgery on the NHS and more people will have to move to private hospitals.

One of my procedures involved doing a few things at the same time, which was best medical practice, but the NHS would have required me to do it all seperately, having two general anaesthetics and a GP procedure and waits between each things, with my health continuing to deteriorate in the meantime. Hence my relief I can go private.

I wouldn't. Part of my job involves the fall out when medical procedures go wrong. I'm sticking to the NHS like glue.

Stuck, they go awfully wrong in the NHS too, as I could tell you.

Medical procedures frequently go wrogng on the NHS too!

Also, whenever I've needed to, which thankfully has only been twice, I went in to an NHS hospital as a private patient and was attended to by the same consultant I would have waited months for on the NHS. I think it unlikely his standard would differ from patient to patient dependent on which route they came in by!

I've never paid for it myself, it's always been part of a salary package for me. And it's seemed a bit mean not to include my DS as well (although when he was rushed to hospital, I completely forgot that he had it)

My DH has family cover health insurance as part of his job. It has come in handy from time to time.
Have not thought about whether we would pay though if it wasn't there.

Through work. Saw the same surgeon as NHS but about three months sooner.

I know they do.

I deal with the NHS too.

However, there is a disproportionate amount of "issues" attached to the private sector. That's before you even factor in the greater levels of transparency and accountability to which the NHS is subject.

I have had to for my dad on occasions to get a consult done quickly when the NHS wouldnt.

Especially when treatment falls between PCTs and nothing can be coordinated - then its the only thing you can do.

We have BUPA through DHs work but have yet to actually use it.

Main uses for Private healthcare

1. to see consultant within a few days of issues at a time that suits - then move onto NHS list and still get same consultant leading my case (not fair but would you want to wait up to 6 weeks for an initial neurologist appointment - my neuro now texts and emails me results which is all NHS / our relationship?)

2. chiropracter for back pain

3. verrucae and phsyio treatment for children

long-term illnesses very quickly lose cover privileges, many tests can be directed by consultant and done through GP on NHS - PPI is for acute not chronic illnesses we have found

My mum is paying for a hip replacement to be done privately. She can barely walk at the moment and is booked in to be done 21st Feb. She saw to consultant (same one as would manage the team in the NHS) 2 weeks ago. She has been told the wait for NHS treatment could be as long as 20 weeks (apparently it's elective as she doesn't really need it doing!, but has a much lower quality of life at the moment waiting for it to be done).

I'm just glad she can afford it.

Paying to jump the waiting list to basically recieve NHS care quicker is one thing. It's entirely private companies I was refering too.

Surely paying to jump the list is worse though? I can understand why you would do it but it puts others who can't afford it even further back in the queue.

It is surely more ethical to pay for all treatment (if you can obviously) rather than start off private then switch and disadvantage others?

Btw we do have health cover as part of DH's salary package so this isn't just jealousy

Aiming, ethically I agree with you entirely. I was refering to quality of care for the paying patient.

We have private cover but it's invisible isn't it? Not like having your kids getting into the Merc wearing their prep school wool blazers and straw boaters!

When I had a minor op I had same consultant as I would've done on the NHS but had appt at my convenience and lovely room more like an hotel than a hospital.

Also had physio/chiropractic treatment etc that I bet I wouldn't have had on NHS

Serenity - it is worse but sometimes they wont even put you on the list and so its the only thing you can do to get back into the system - paying the consultant to get you back onto the waiting list - even for things like cancer - it can be very complicated.