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.

I agree that some of the health systems on the continent appear to bne better than ours. But they pay more tax for it. Whenever I meet people in rl who criticise the NHS I ask them if they personally would pay more tax to improve it - the answer is usually no. I personally would, but until people are prepared to pay the levels of tax for health that many in the continent do, then it is really not fair to compare the NHS with those.

I would pay more taxes for the NHS but I would be resentful until I was sure that the service spent money effectively.

I think we have a pretty good balance here between public and private.

Our NHS gives excellent healthcare to everyone. Not many countries can boast that. The private is the icing on the cake, providing convenience and additional comfort in return for voluntary taxation.