Why do they offer a private option too?

[londongirl12]

At my recent smear, the nurse noticed a polyp and said she would refer me to have it removed. I’ve had an email through today offering me 6 options of where I want to attend - 4 NHS options and 2 private options. I wondered why they offer the private options? I was surprised at the amount of choice!

I'm guessing it is because some people are able to easily afford to go private so that option would be of interest to them, and the more people who take that up, the less pressure there is on the NHS for everyone else.

Do you mean at a private hospital? Quite a few NHS procedures are carried out in private hospitals. It’s called something like choose and book.

Yeah basically NHS is paying spire etc to give slots instead of building more NHS capacity

It's so you can get seen quicker. Good that your area does it that way. Mine dumped me on a list for 12 months and only when I got a year down the list did they offer me to be seen privately.

It's called right to choose, ask what the NHS wait lists are, I had a cholecystectomy and the NHS list was 2 years, I opted to go private via right to choose and was seen in 12 weeks. The hospital was also amazing, got a detailed chat with surgeon and anaesthetist before hand, big white fluffy robe and slippers, no bays just private rooms, plenty of staff on hand after, I went to shuffle to the toilet which was two doors from my room and a nurse was there immediately offering to help, it was calm and quiet, so different to an NHS hospital.

There are options of private and public in public settings. Hospitals, schools, doctors, care homes, etc. I think it might be best to look at the reviews if possible.