Going private to get onto NHS afterwards

[whereismagic]

My son has been having recurrent bouts of tonsillitis for the past 3 years. It was easy to see a GP at our previous practice but it's a total nightmare with our new one. We got to a point where we would like our son to have a tonsillectomy but jumping through the hoops NHS has in place makes it impossible to be referred for it. I read now and again that people get a private appointment and then ask to be put on the surgeon's NHS list. So I just wonder how it happens? What's the point for a surgeon as they are paid a lot more for a procedure done privately?

They still get the initial consultation fee.

Do you know why the 'hoops' are in place?

A lot of surgeons wouldn't let you do it as they don't agree with you paying the initial consultation fee to jump the queue.

We were going to pay for our son to have his out (he was very ill by this point and had lost so much weight)
We got an appt at the local private hospital, explained the situation, told the dr how worried we were and that we would pay to get it done ASAP and the dr offered to put Ds on his NHS list in 2 weeks time.
We are so very grateful to that Dr!

It's not impossible at all to be referred for tonsillectomy if it's clinically indicated. I think you need to listen to what the GP is saying to you rather than deciding yourself what treatment is needed. Unless you have a medicine degree?

I'm inclined to agree with NorthernLurker. The 'hoops' are put in place to stop things like inappropriate tonsillectomies. In the past they would whip them out for recurrent tonsillitis, but now the evidence is telling us that alone is not sufficient reason.
Tonsillitis is utterly horrid in children (and adults) and as a loving parent you feel you should be doing everything you can to help your child. Listen to your GP, I'm sure they aren't being obstinate for the sake of it (although I'll admit some can be crap). Get all the information you can before deciding whether the risks of anaesthesia and surgery are worth it, then find a consultant who does private and NHS work. If you let them know you are self funded, they usually offer to put you on their NHS waiting list.

The thing about NHS is that what is clinically indicated has been restricted by funding. So for example tonsillectomy should be considered for children with recurrent tonsillitis. But the fact that it should be recorded 7 times in a year by GP is a funding issue to reduce referrals. My understanding is that an ENT consultant would not agree to perform an unnecessary procedure however much you pay them. Our previous GP offered to refer DS to a hospital but I baulked at an idea of general anaesthesia and DS had bouts of tonsillitis only for a year.
So should I be upfront and ask their secretary if a consultant can refer us to their NHS list?