Please be aware of 'nhs choices'

[PinkPoncho]

My GP didn't make me aware that when I needed to go to hospital I could have chosen one including local private hospitals, based on waiting list etc. I just wanted to make people aware, as it could have resulted in me being seen sooner (I became seriously ill while waiting for an appointment to be seen and had to go to A and E, which otherwise may not have happened)

Maybe everyone is aware of this already, if not see

www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx?ServiceType=Hospital

for more information.

www.leftfootforward.org/2011/11/tory-peers-private-healthcare-links-threat-to-nhs/

Speaking of self interest which no one was, but seems like a good time to start. Have a look at this and start to wonder how we got to this state of privatisation in the first place, would not have anything to do with ministers and senior politicians being bought by private health companies would it.
Before anyone gets knickers twisted I know labour are as bad and universally condem them as well. However the point is these changes are bought by the private companies at the expense of democracy.

I think it is important to be aware of the wider implications of your choices. For example a district general hospital which routinely has its non-complex surgery diverted to a private hospital who offer shorter waiting lists etc. may find that it does not have enough funds to sustain its A&E and other non easy profit services. IMO The market within the NHS is unfairly skewed to benefit private healthcare services.

Hi there
We'll move this to general health
Thanks
M Towers

Nettlemummy I agree it is the law of unintended consequences, but then we are being told that we cannot have local units they must all be centralised to creat excellence. Now ok I have to admit that I would much rather my chances of surviving a heart attack or a road traffic accident go up as a result of getting the best care possible. But for my relatives it will be a bugger to do the traveling to see me.

Just had a look, it's just England.

I'm in Scotland, and have refused to go back to a hospital where I got awful treatment, I also insisted on having all my care transferred elsewhere.

I don't know if this is universally possible, but my fantastic GP did it for me.

Hi if the 'nasty GP' had got me an appointment sooner (I didn't care whether NHS or private I just wanted the pain to go away and was two weeks wait at the busy city hospital I wouldn't have ended up in A and E in an emergency situation. Hey ho.

I should have remembered that a few years back there was an appt for a colonoscopy available in a small town and few miles out, (nhs with short waiting time) I didn't need it urgently that time and as tricky to get there just waited for the busy one.

Didn't mean this to come out as attack on nhs or something, it's good to have options though with regard to waiting times in particular, especially when something is urgent and ou can find out quicky whether there's somewhere a little further out with more space. Good for the nhs too to reduce waiting lists, I's have thought.

Yes I was going to mention to the GP the choice thing, he had just rang the Gasto dept nearest and they'd advised him to refer for colonoscopy and the appt would be in a couple of weeks.

There's a leaflet in my GP waiting room explaining it. Normally she looks on the screen, reads out a list of hospitals and their waiting times and asks me what I fancy. When DH had suspected DVT he was sent to our local private hospital by her as he needed an ultrasound that day. I've lost the leaflet, it explains how its funded. Most private hospitals now have details of how NHS patients can use their services, on their websites.

BTW sometimes I've seen a nasty GP but I hadn't realised that made me a Conservative agitator. Is there a sticker I can wear?