As someone who was born with a disability one year after the NHS was founded, plus a number of other operations since then, at St Bartholomew’s in London, the Royal Berks and Battle Hospitals in Reading, whilst none of these were under a Private Healthcare policy, I have to say that I very much doubt if a private healthcare provider would be able to deliver much more than maybe a shorter wait time and better facilities than the NHS does. The fact that certainly one of the surgeons who operated on me also ran their own private practice, didn’t impact on the treatment I received from them.
The issue of the NHS vs private healthcare providers has come about because of Americans trying to compare the system they have to how the system functions in the UK. Their system is horrendously expensive and it seems that Americans hate the concept of what they pay, supporting those who cannot afford to take out a health insurance policy, whilst over here, we believe that providing a significantly more than adequate healthcare system which anyone can access, which in turn means that the wellbeing of people isn’t subject to costs they cannot afford, whilst in the US, their Insurers are continually profiting from the misery they subsequently impose on those they are insuring, rather than that profit being used to improve the quality and depth of cover they provide. Overall, I would say that the US system is a morally bankrupt one.
We’ve used the private sector for many years, in my case all my life from day #1. Our gripe is that we can’t claim tax relief on what we pay. We avoid the NHS like a dose of pox.
But you wouldn’t if you could not afford it and the doo dah really hits the fan .
Private care cannot complete with the expertise and facilities ( I mean medical ones not fancy extras )
That’s right because they need to be near the experts not always on call in their five star facilities .
You are paying for the private room with an ensuite not for the treatment ,
Another friend’s husband has just paid out £14K to have a hip replacement privately. He has endured about 3 years of agony and couldn’t bear the pain any longer. He was left totally immobile and had to buy a special chair to get him up into a standing position. (rise and recline?) He said he felt like a 90 year old. He hung on as long as he could because he said he had paid his tax and NI all his working life and felt the NHS should treat him but last time he rang them they said it could be another 2-3 years! so very reluctantly he went private.
The NHS in its present form is unsustainable especially with the millions of illegals that predate off it. My opinion is that the Swiss NHS model should be implemented here. Also that all private health payments should be tax deductible.
If in such pain that the “wait time”, until you can get in and get your condition fixed, is such that you’re going to lose months of your life waiting to get treated, there is another way.
Ask your Doctor to make an appointment with the Private Specialist who deals with what you need.
When you get to see that Specialist & are told what treatment is recommended, ask him/her to provide you with a breakdown of all of the costs, and time, associated with getting it fixed.
(including hospital bed, Nursing, Medication, etc.)
Once you have the “bottom line” estimate, start to look at ways you could raise that amount.
(there are often special low interest deals associated with surgery).
Don’t rule out a long loan, or adding it to your mortgage.
The Medical Insurance Companies are not likely to be the most cost effective, in my experience!
They don’t like older people or those with repeat requirements!
(Most important) balance your quality of life, waiting for the NHS to sort you out, with what you’ll have if it’s all done in a few weeks.
Try more than one Specialist.
Some people will pay 30 grand to replace their car, on HP, rather than get relief for the pain which they are in.
If you say, sod it, the NHS should give me what I pay for, it won’t get you what you need!
