Hysterectomy on the NHS - can anyone reassure me?

[Phaedra11]

I am on a NHS waiting list for a pelvic floor operation and hysterectomy. It will be a long wait as there are no non emergency NHS operations taking place until April. I paid for an initial consultation to speed things up but can't afford to pay for the procedures, anaesthetists plus days spent in private hospital. I don't have private insurance and only have limited savings. My husband and I are on low incomes. Our one financial positive is that we own our home outright.

I've just seen a friend who has private health insurance and has had a hysterectomy. She was saying the whole experience would be so much better if I went private and implied it would be worth getting a loan (ie getting into debt) for. She gave me a story about being patronised by a doctor as an NHS patient, who had been courteous and pleasant the month before when she saw him privately. She also reminded me my wait could be made even longer by further cancellations. I am now feeling quite anxious. The idea of an op on the NHS is making me nervous but so is the idea of finding the money to pay. I don't know exactly how much it would cost and I suppose that would be a sensible first step but even the thought of doing that is panicking me! I'm thinking it will probably be close to £10,000 and that is more than my savings. Also I've been hoping to use my savings to help me study for a MA.

Ideally I would love to hear from someone who had a positive NHS experience who could reassure me! Anyone?

I also think posters are confusing having a private room in an NHS hospital, with having the operation in a fully private hospital. It's a very different experience.

I had the discussion about going home too in my NHS hospital. The surgeon was clear it was my choice. I never felt pressured.

I chose to go home because I had good support and the right facilities there - if I hadn't I'd have stayed at least one more night.

I've just had ovaries and tubes removed, so not full hysterectomy, in a private hospital. I did it for timing reasons not because I might get better treatment. I was admitted to my local NHS hospital as an emergency overnight case ten days before my operation for something different.

The NHS experience I had on an extremely busy ward was amazing. Yes it was noisy and admissions were coming in all night but every single member of staff I spoke to was kind and respectful, not just to me but everyone in the ward. I probably wouldn't have liked to be there recovering from surgery as it was so busy but then it wasn't a surgical ward.

My operation was in a private hospital where the staff were polite but not particularly friendly. I saw many different people who popped in and out of my private room, no one was in overall charge of my case it seemed and my discharge 9 hours later was very quick and without advice. The menu looked good, the room was pleasant but I'm glad I wasn't there for too long.

The surgeon and anaesthetist were great but also did NHS work and I felt safe but had there been an emergency I would have been shipped off to the NHS hospital next door. I think it depends on your local hospital but I would not have been happy to pay thousands to have my private experience, luckily we had insurance.

The main benefit of private care was being in a private room, with my own loo and shower - and not having the sleep disruptions you can get in an NHS ward. The food was lovely and was all presented on proper china with sparkling cutlery - but I felt too groggy to enjoy it.

I had a hysterectomy last June on the NHS. Brilliant staff, I was in a small 6 bed ward, only 3 of us in it. Aftercare was excellent. Nursing staff were so lovely, friendly, helpful and answered lots of questions.

I went home the next day with leaflets, medication and a letter if I needed to go into a and e for any complications.

The NHS is wonderful.

Interestingly, the NHS aftercare for hysterectomy seems to be a hell of a lot better than for C-sections.

I had emergency spinal surgery (NHS). They were fantastic, I had a side room as immunosuppressed, plenty of food and countless cups of tea! All really reassuring and considerate

If it’s the same person operating then really just aftercare is what will differ. Is it worth going private for that? Probably not.

I was sent a whole sheet of instructions before my (non UK) c section regarding infection control. Clean bedding the night before (washed on hot.) clean clothing, shoe covers, full wash the night before and the morning of, and that was DH too as we shared a bed. No jewellery or makeup, really specific instructions. I’ve never seen that for a UK op.
The hospital I was in was a bit tatty but absolutely spotless - I have seen some UK hospitals look quite grubby so I think that’s something you could make a difference with. Make sure all nurses and HCPs are washing hands, no one is to sit on your bed in door clothes, that kind of thing.

I have no experience of a hysterectomy but I saw an endocrinologist privately last year and have since seen him on the NHS and he didn’t treat me any differently . I was also an inpatient in one of our local hospitals last year where it is predominantly private rooms with ensuits facilities and it was a much nicer room than the private room at our local private hospital . I am very pro NHS having previously worked as a nurse for 30+ years and it stuck in my throat having to pay to go private but needs must and it did work for me .

Unfortunately you get what you pay for. You occasionally get hood treatment of the NHS but it is very hit and miss depending on the individual doctor/nurse/midwife but even the best ones are constrained by economic realities. I have noticed a shocking disparity of care between NHS and private (even when I go to the NHS GP and mention that I am insured there is a difference in the kind of treatment they suggest). Honestly, speaking as someone who has experienced several health care systems including NHS, state funded overseas, private in Britain and abroad, I would avoid the NHS if possible. It's better than nothing but it would always be my last choice. The quality of care is significantly worse under the NHS then every other system I have used. There is no harm in investigating the cost of private treatment. If you can't afford it then you can' the afford it but at least you will know that you have no other option.

If all goes smoothly, there will be no difference in the medical treatment you receive so it all comes down to things like whether you want carpet in your room/nice china plates/possibly a better view out of the window and how prepared you are to potentially get into debt to achieve that.

If there are any problems during/after the surgery the most important things are how good your (multidisciplinary) team are at looking after emergencies. There is usually better, quick access to investigations/intensive care/blood/senior staff in the NHS (don't be fooled into thinking you'll have entirely consultant delivered care at the Golden Nugget - there is often only 1 RMO on for the hospital at night and the consultants will be at home).

The chances are that all will go smoothly in either setting. If you do decide to splash out, you need to explore what the set-up for dealing with the unexpected is at your particular private hospital - some places will be better than others and that is less predictable than in the NHS.

(DOI - am an anaesthetics & ICU doctor that doesn't do private work, but does teach management of life-threatening emergencies in some of my local private hospitals. You may be able to guess what I'd advise my family if they asked the same question.)

dairyisclosed I couldn't disagree more even though I've just had surgery privately. Things do not always go smoothly and safely in private hospitals and guess who picks up the pieces, the NHS. I've had a very close relative die after picking up an infection in a private hospital, he was transferred to NHS intensive care but couldn't be saved.

When I left my private hospital last week after surgery at 9pm I didn't see a single member of staff between my room and the car park. I wouldn't like to think what might have happened if I had remained there overnight and had a problem, the place was deserted.

Last year I paid for my son to have a mastectomy because it's not covered any more under the NHS.

My husband had 3 cancer surgeries in 6 months under the NHS.

The only obvious difference was that I was offered a rather nice lunch in the private hospital, whereas I only got a cup of tea on the NHS. They both had private rooms with excellent nursing staff and doctors.

The NHS is wonderful. If my son's operation had been covered under the NHS then obviously we'd have had it done there.

It was a matter of time for me. I was diagnosed by the NHS but once it was established my condition wasn't life-threatening, the waiting lists were endless (I understand why I wasn't a priority). I was 8 weeks post my private operation and back at work before the date I was originally given by the NHS for an initial consultation had come round.

Full Hysterectomy on nhs 3 years ago. In hospital for 46 hours all in. No issues at all apart from menopause kicking in. AMAZING 'service'

I had it on the NHS and have no complaints whatsoever. The wit was about 3-4 months, which actually I appreciated as it gave time to sort things out at work for when I was going to be off sick, and also gave me time to get my head round it. The care I received was fine. It was delayed by a week due to the surgeon being on leave but that was my only delay. If I had my time again I wouldn't choose any other way.