to be gobsmacked by the efficiency of private healthcare?

[grovel]

I have never used private healthcare before and we have no insurance. Over New Year my left knee "went". I could not straighten it. Very painful. DH called a GP friend (not in our area) who told him that real diagnosis could be weeks after initial visit to our GP (referral to consultant, probable referral to MRI unit, back to consultant etc). If surgery was required I might have to wait weeks after diagnosis. In the meantime I would be on crutches and painkillers. I was prepared to suck this up.
DH wanted immediate diagnosis. He called the local private Orthopaedic practice. Appointment next day. Scan immediately after consultation. Diagnosis immediately after scan. Offer of surgery within 6 days. Price for all of this - £4,100 (initial consultation, scan, surgery, anaesthetist, 5 physio sessions, follow-up consultation etc). We have decided to go ahead. We are lucky that we can afford to (just about - Butlins, not Greece this year, I suppose, and no car upgrade).
Now I love the principles of the NHS and will defend them until Kingdom comes but this experience has got me thinking about how it is organised. Why do I have to see my GP to get anything started? Why do consultants have to correspond with GPs? Does it really cost the NHS less than £4,000 (fully-loaded) to treat my condition (cartilege-related)? Could Landsley even be right about a physician-led service?
I may be spouting nonsense because I am so relieved to be getting resolution to my discomfort.

Well I guess you have been very lucky ...all round.:)

I can understand if you have been in pain, it must be a massive relief.

Grovel I get private healthcare through DH's job and I have had a couple of procedures over the past 5 years which have gone like clockwork. I would recommend it to anyone who can afford it.

The only problem with this is, is that a regular GP has to make the referral, or it doesn't get paid for - and sometimes the GP can be very unwilling to make the referral. I don't know why though.

I had a similar experience some years ago when I had a problem with my wrist. Private healthcare via work, seen immediately, diagnosed and treated that very same week. Fabulous.

SAHM now... just wish I could still afford it!

I had emergency surgery on the NHS 14 months ago and they cancelled my op 3 days running before finally taking me everything felt rushed in the wee room where I would be put to sleep. Came round to fab one to one care though.

Yet 14 weeks later surgery which had been cancelled because of my emergency op was done privately as due to the weather they couldn't meet my deadline. Arrive at 11am, was met by my "personal" nurse, shown to my private room (which felt rather lonely due to me being in a ward the previous time!) had someone come with a fancy menu for my after op meal. Then at 1pm prompt, my personal nurse walked me to theatre where I met my next personal theatre nurse and the blokey who'd already seen me regarding my previous surgery as my notes weren't too great. He was surprised I made it out alive was his comment to me. Came round to 1 to 1 care, who was a mum from school who made a quick switch with another nurse for privacy reasons. Then I had my next personal nurse take me back to the room before my meal arrived and I was allowed home 6 hours after surgery.

The 2 experiences were very different and now I know why the first surgeon laughed when I said he'd better find me a slot as I was starving or else I'd be off to the private hospital... he works there too.

We always had private growing up, it is definitely worth every penny. We don't have it at the mo but will look into it when finances are more settled I think.

Friend who had a hysterectomy was actually offered surgery quicker on the NHS than private healthcare could do it - with the same surgeon. It was for a serious reason though, so that will have had an influence.

I work in the private sector and our hospital accepts NHS admissions through the choose and book system which I have used to go to this particular hospital (before I worked there, now get free private healthcare) must admit it is much nicer and I have had a lot of operations in NHS hospitals, late appointments, cancelled operations etc.

Even as an NHS patient in a private hospital you get private room, good food (although not the private menu), consultant care. Basically we offer near everything to NHS patients that the private get (although NHS can't pick their consultant, change appointment times, get as much follow up, and NHS have to wait the standard 18 weeks from consultation to operation)

Groovee, I don't want to slag off the NHS. You walked with your personal nurse to the operating theatre. I've had a couple of ops on the NHS where I've had to be taken by a porter in a wheelchair or on a trolley. Why?. I could walk and would have been more relaxed dong so.

Heh, it is about efficiency, but not the way you think!

For a service to see you immediately, it must be inefficient - it has over-capacity and resources sitting around waiting for you. This will make the service more expensive.

For a service to be maximally efficient and make optimal use of resources, it must perpetually be in almost 100% use - and therefore make people wait at peak times. But it will be cheaper to run.

Supermarkets and petrol stations have the same dilemma: how many tills-in-use/pumps to have.

The NHS currently opts for 100% use and max value-for-money, so the private medical sector goes for instant appointments as its USP in contrast.

But if the private sector were in the NHS part of the market, they would simply behave like the NHS - and do. I get much worse service from a privatised provider of a disability service than I did previously, because like airlines this provider books at 130% and then bumps people if they all turn up.

Grovel I have no idea when I was in the NHS Theatre seemed MILES away from the ward. I got taken on my bed to theatre which I felt a right wally. Was too dosed on morphine on the way back to notice. When I had dd I got taken up to the ward in bed but I had a gorgeous baby to keep me occupied on the way. Yet when the woman next to me went for her elective section she was encouraged to walk to theatre too by the midwife.

I definitely felt less stressed the 2nd time walking and chatting where as I think first time I'd never had a GA, everything seemed rushed and the pregnancy test I should have had when I came in (af was late at the time and they needed to know if I was pregnant) hadn't been done and there was a stress as the nurse from aftercare who came to collect me had made me go to the loo, "so you don't wee on the operating table!"

It seems to me that ednurse is exposing a possible truth. The NHS find it cheaper to use "choose and book" in the private sector than do the job themselves. Smacks of chaotic over- management in the public sector at a huge cost.

If the consultants were not doing the private jobs would they have more time to be in NHS hospitals and ease the wait there , therefore ending the need for private health ? - Just a thought and one to throw into the pot

I am waiting to see an orthopaedic surgeon - on NHS - saw my GP last Sept - had MRI scan within two weeks (which I though was good ) results back in a couple of days - telephone consultation with GP who then referred me to orthopaedic surgeon.

At end of November I chased the referral up as nothing heard . The company dealing with referrals ( looks like its contracted out to 'private' company) said they had sent me a letter - never received it . New appointment made , letter received within a couple of days - which managed to arrive safely .

Appointment beginning of Feb ! Phoned to see if they had one earlier as I has been waiting since Sept - no appointments available !

So perhaps if consultant wasn't doing his private work he may be able to fit me in ?

Anyway still walking but knee not getting any better - probably inside things have changed alot since my MRI scan in Sept - so when I see consultant in Feb , 4 - 5 months on , will another MRI scan be needed so he can see how things have worsened ? More money that NHS has to spend !

Any glad OP your problem is sorted and if we had the money or insurance we would have done the same .

I don't see any reason why we can't self refer on the nhs in situations like this.

I agree, OP. I've experienced both and private healthcare is amazing. It has also saved one of my mum's kidneys before - she went to the GP in extreme pain (after ages of being told the milder pain was just backache) and was referred for a kidney scan, with a week's wait. My dad couldn't bear to see her in that much pain so paid for her to have a private scan the next day. She had a serious blockage that needed to be drained immediately, followed by several ops to reconstruct it. The surgeon said she would have lost the kidney if she had waited another few days (as the NHS wanted her to do, in incredible pain).

The care on the NHS is often fine (the same drs are usually involved) but in my experience the difference lies with the efficiency of the admin and the level of the person you see (I went all the way through an NHS fertility clinic without ever seeing the consultant named as being in charge of my care; in the private sector my first appointment was with a consultant).

I had a similar experience to the OP when I had RSI. The wait to see a consultant on the NHS was 18 weeks but I was in so much pain I couldn't do anything at all- not even write or hold something in my hand.

I rang the private hospital on the Thursday and they gave me an appointment for that Saturday.

OTOH for really serious conditions the NHS is very efficient. I was referred for tests at the end of January. Had first test mid Feb and a CT scan 10 days later. At the end of February I was called in to discuss the results and had surgery mid March. It was all so fast there wasn't time to think.

Avantia, big hugs. I know I'm lucky and was wary of posting. To quote my MiL - "You poor old thing".

I've always been a great admirer of the NHS. I still fully believe in its principles.

My first experience with private medical was when my son was born and needed a non-urgent operation. As it wasn't urgent we waited 6 months to get an appointment just to see the consultant which was then cancelled twice until finally we got in after 9 months.

We were told the waiting list of the operation would be "difficult" and at least a year. I then mentioned I had private medical cover. I hadn't realised what a difference it would make.

All of a sudden we could pick our appointments. Subsequent meetings were bang ontime and the same consultant even wore a tie. We were given his mobile number and could contact him anytime we wanted. His secretary called us a few days after and asked if the following week was OK for the operation.

It was then I learned that whilst I love the principle of the NHS that when your kids health is on the line principles are sometimes a luxury you can't afford.

Dont blame you OP - I have paid privately for my DS to have private hearing test and see ENT consultant - cut out 6 months ! And my other DS we paid privately for an Osteopath to help with a foot problem . Had seen a Paedatric Podiatrist on NHS after 3 month wait and they were not much help really .

I can manage for while longert more as long as I can still walk the dog I am OK .

Nilgiri has it right. It's easy to be efficient when you can pick and choose your cases (the easy/profitable ones) and when you get oodles of cash for each one. Try getting an operation in a private hospital if you have heart disease or even high blood pressure unless it's a very minor op. And if something does go wrong in your shiny private hospital, they will ship you off to the NHS lickety-spit.

The NHS is actually far and away the most efficient healthcare system in the world in terms of health outcomes per pound spent. A single private outpatient appointment will cost you the same as your GP receives for your care for 5 years, regardless of how many times you go to see him/her.

We get private healthcare through DH's work and we have had a few things done straight away - cannot beat the service.

I had arthroscopy surgery to the knee and everything just went very smoothly and quickly.

You've obviously never lived in America! As a one-off private healthcare is fine. You wouldn't want to replace it with all private.

I did a uni course once on different healthcare systems. The NHS is considered a pretty good one in terms of both equity and cost control.

Just to compare, the US spends the same % of GDP on public healthcare (ie MORE money because GDP is higher) as we do yet over 20% of the population aren't covered. On top of that, they spend about five times as much as us on out of pocket private expenditure. That's what happens with a privately led system.

The nhs absolutely has its place and is great for what it is. But that doesn't take away from how great private healthcare is, in my experience.

The general bureaucractic shitiness of the NHS is nothing compared to the general bureaucractic shitiness of the private US system. It really isn't.

Avantia I am sorry but your thoughts re:if consultants didn't spend time in the private sector they could do more in the NHS are wrong.

They do private patient work in their own time. As consultants work on call at night/weekends, this is time they need to be "given back" during the "working week" as it were (otherwise it would prove ever more costly to pay out of hours on call). So therefore, when your consultant sees you on a thurs morning for example, this is NOT time he should be working in the NHS, but time he is entitled to do as he wishes with,be that work extra seeing private patients or sit on his arse watching Jezza Kyle!

It is true, that some have, in the past taken the piss a bit but that time is ending.

Ednurse is right, try using the Choose and Book system, through extended choice network. Then choose to see who you want, when you want. :o