To think private hospitals overdiagnose

[Anyakatemar]

Maybe this is something everyone knows but new to me. DH started new job this hear and now has private healthcare. I’ve used it on a couple of occasions for me and the children, when we haven’t wanted to wait for a Gp app (2 weeks++ here) or we’re anxious to get something seen to. Every time I’ve ended up being recommended a barrage of tests, from ones that make sense to the severely clutching at straws ones.

Eg 1yo DS was seen for an odd-looking mole on his calf and, while that was given the all clear, we were offered blood tests and a brain scan as his head was at the top end of the centile charts ?!?! (As are his older brothers’!). We refused both. We are a family of big heads (sadly doesn’t translate to big brains!)

DH needed antibiotics to get rid of a chest infections and was sent for lung scan, about 10 lots of blood taken and an asthma test that took about 3 hours in another private hospital. He was told it was strongly recommended. But then the antibiotics did the job and he was fine within just over a week, AFTER all the testing

These are just the ones that stand out.

Are doctors just being thorough or could they really be so unethical as to recommend unnecessary tests and treatment for £££s?

Again, probably being massively naive but was interested to hear others’ thoughts

Medical secretary here -have worked in private sector for last (nearly) 30 years now. So, are you seeing a specialist in the private sector each time or a private GP? I don't work in paediatrics so have no idea whether the offer of a brain scan for your DS was reasonable or drumming up business for the hospital (it would be the hospital that received the fee for that scan, not the doctor, by the way so can't think he/she would have an interest in that unless they just want you back for a follow up consultation to review results). Re. the chest infections, if your DH has had several chest infections recently, it would be quite reasonable to suggest a lung scan (CT usually) to see if there was anything particular going on that would explain it and need dealing with. I have worked for many, many specialists in the private sector and none of them would recommend unnecessary tests although, quite often, patients are very anxious to have further tests and sometimes the consultant will agree, even if they are 99% sure the result will be normal, if the patient clearly won't be reassured unless they do have a scan (loads of people with headache syndromes are convinced they have a brain tumour, for instance). If they have rooms in a particular hospital, they are expected to use that hospital for any tests that they think their patient needs but that does not mean that they start sending them for unnecessary tests, just that, if possible, they will use that hospital if the need anything done (that said, some still use "outside" test centres if they know they do particular things better).

I would far rather the over cautious approach of private healthcare than the ‘it’s probably not cancer’ approach of NHS GPs I’ve experienced in recent years. Can’t wait for my private health cover to kick in so I can try and get some long standing issues resolved without being fobbed off or told it’s in my head (bitter experience).

Where is this? In the UK? We have private health insurance and this has not been my experience at all. Abroad yes, but I find UK private healthcare pretty poor to be honest.

You can refuse any tests they suggest you know- it's your body. You can simply say that the cost would come out of your annual allowance and you only want to have absolutely necessary tests.

This has not been my experience and we have had private insurance for 30+ years. It's been a huge benefit.

Wiggler1 you will find that existing long term conditions are not covered by private insurance, as it's for acute and new conditions only.

This was my experience also. Had a thigh/ groin hernia diagnosed and operated on although scans were inconclusive ( I was 32 at the time, and the kind of hernia occurs in 80 year old women normally). Coincidentally, the pain in my groin occurred after I pushed myself in the gym trying to relearn splits, which I told the doctor first thing at the consultation thinking I pulled something. He insisted on the opp and I had lots of complications after it including a weeping wound (for 1 month and he only signed me off work for 1 week!), thick scar which made walking very painful. Doctors in Poland said it was very unlikely I had the hernia but it's too easy to put the mesh there in a low risk hernia opp and no one would ever be able to prove otherwise. The Polish doctors helped me get rid of a thick scar with laser treatments and lots of physio. The private doctor said the scar would not occur....

A few years later I accessed the private medical again. I had been in a stressful M&A job and had a recurring sore throat, which I worried would trigger streptococcal throat infection that triggers episodes of psoriasis in me. I chose some foreign professor (ears, throat, nose specialist) to see, hoping we would know what's going on. I suspected it was strain and stress affecting my immune system, this middle aged doctor said I had a very, very, very... good looking nose and throat indeed and that he would strongly recommend I see the in-house....wait for it!....speech therapist for weekly sessions! He suggested I had been using my throat muscles differently to speak hence the pain...Honestly! I ignored the advice, started looking for a different job and voila! the sore throat went! I definitely think they are mildly unethical and supplement their basic pay with non-threatening scans and procedures. Call me cynical...

@Queenofthenights I haven’t even bothered with my GP for the issues as I’m not at death’s door so as far as my insurance is concerned they are new issues, in that they haven’t been raised before. I’ve made two appointments to discuss them, both of which have been cancelled by my surgery. The private GPs I’ve seen have gone over and above to try and actually help me rather than throw me into the NHS machine and seen what traumatised mess pops out the other end (with no diagnosis, other than anxiety, caused by the referral process).