Private surgery going wrong - NHS stepping in

[Garysmum]

I’m aware of lots and lots of people going abroad for surgery cosmetic and non-cosmetic and dentistry etc.

In some cases that surgery is going wrong. Patients return to the UK and then have to turn to the NHS for help.

For example there is a very unwell lady on TikTok who paid for her gastric sleeve in Turkey and she’s now been in hospital in the UK for days with complications. Poor woman is very unwell.

She received a lot of hate filled comments about her use of the NHS having paid for private surgery. It’s impossible to know the details - for example was she just speeding up a process that she would have had on the NHS or perhaps she wouldn’t have qualified for NHS surgery - we don’t know.

She had rightly pointed out if the surgery had been successful, she would have saved the NHS not only the cost of the operation itself but also costs associated conditions she had from being overweight.

i certainly would consider necessary non-cosmetic surgery overseas if I could afford it, it would make an appreciable difference to my quality of life and if I felt there was a backstop if things go wrong. As it stands that backstop does exist as we have the NHS. And I do agree that having private operations whether in the UK or abroad does take the strain off the NHS - e.g. knee replacement (my dad), hip replacement (friends aunt), tonsillectomy (godson) can speed up the process by years in many cases.

But I then wondered if there are any circumstances where the NHS could or should refuse to pay for after care? Some surgery might not be carried out to UK standards overseas or after care might be compromised by having only a week abroad etc?
Does it matter if it is cosmetic?

it should be compulsory for all visitors to this country whether tourists or visiting relatives etc to take out health insurance - many attend nhs hospitals for treatment and these fees are never claimed back - the nhs cannot afford to do this as and they needs to set up a department to recover this money - if health insurance was taken out this would save the nhs millions over the year.

I don't disagree but think this needs to be viewed in balance with the number of forgein nationals living in the UK who return to their home country for medical treatment they can't get here. I had a Ukrainian living with me and loads go back to Ukraine for medical and dental treatment. Shocking, that it's easier to find a dentist, in a fucking war zone, than it is in the UK but there it is.

This is broadly how I see it.

Sometimes people injure themselves doing something dumb, sometimes because someone else has done something wrong. NHS patches people up after that, why is surgery overseas different?

why do people assume that going abroad for surgery is risky - some of the finest professors operate in bangalore in indian (heart surgeons) and the standard of care is second to none. also on the continent and lithuania top class surgeons.

if there is problems with the surgery from abroad then sometimes it can happen but no more than in the uk - the nhs i have noticed always plays down the excellent surgeons and staff abroad. if there are problems and the nhs have to assist that person has paid their nhs contributions for years i expect and is entitled to treatment. the hospitals abroad are generally far superior to the nhs ones and have the latest technology.

lh

So much misinformation in this thread it’s unreal!

the nhs always implies that surgery abroad and surgeons operating there are not up to it - as if the nhs does not make mistakes and cause implications.
there is all wrong information -