Feel like I've betrayed my principles..

So sorry for your pain and discomfort, Susieb. And I don't blame you in the least for going private, or trying to. I certainly would if I could.

I'm a big fan of the NHS. In many ways it is wonderful and I think we take it for granted a bit. But I think it is unsustainable in it's present form
and sooner or later we are going to have to start paying for something...
Hospital bed and board, maybe. Or visits to the G.P.
The NHS is under such pressure now that mistakes get made, and I think if we can help by paying for some parts of it then that is in everyone's interest. I realise that great care would have to be taken that it remained fair and available to all, but many people could afford to pay something.

It's so haphazard though Mishap. Paying doen't necessarily guarantee the best.I had a hip replacement last year, within 6 weeks of referral, in a private hospital.....on the NHS.The operation and the surgeon were fantastic...the aftercare and quality of nursing on the ward were abysmal..

Was it not the late , not lamented ,beloved Blair who "renegotiated' the GP system. No weekend working etc.

Luckily our surgery takes appointments on the day, as long as you ring in before 8.30, however the quality of care is not good, the GP's have dreadful memories regarding the promises of forward referrals

Presumably he thought they would be eternally grateful to him, and support his cause.

Such sad stories here

I do digress so apologies. The NHS has many faults and DH is just one at the moment not getting good followup, but when it does get it right it is so good re the picture in the press today of the 9 year old given "new ears" his wonderful smile says it all.

Agreed Mishap. But the strategy is perfectly clear:

Starve the NHS of resources

Get sympathetic media onside

Prepare the ground for privatisation

Make sure the big donors, with interests in health, to the Con party are ennobled

Ensure that the said companies will benefit from aforementioned privatisation

Bingo

I am sick and tired of hearing these tales about the NHS - it is so very depressing. There are things it does very well; but these problems that are not instantly life-threatening are handled very badly. I hear this stuff over and over again and just despair.

Some of you will know that I had this with my fractured foot - misdiagnoses, misinformation, long waits for scans while unable to walk. Also with my dad - the saga of errors and nonsense that characterised his treatment are too depressing to even think about.

And yesterday I bumped into a friend whose DD (aged 29) has had a stroke and is being told it was a TIA - which by definition lasts less than 24 hours. This lass has a hemiplegia 5 days later and is being sent to a geriatric rehab unit!!!!! The consultant physician in the hospital is "not allowed" to refer to the neurologist - it has to go back through the GP - can you believe this!!!?

And the little friend who had a brain tumour that was missed....and I could go on.

This is why I am contemplating shelling out £12.5 K for my hip replacement - it is a huge proportion of our savings, but I will be done quickly and by a named good surgeon. None of this faffing about that is the NHS now.

How sad.

We have a problem within our family - my DD is now 50 and two years ago was sent to a Gynaecologist as an emergency - at the first consultation she was told a hysterectomy was necessary and that it would be done within three months- of course it was not and she was being given some monthly hormone injection which stopped the dreadful bleeding but had other side effects. As the operation was being put further and further back we assisted with paying for it to be done privately and the operation itself went very well and the initial recovery was great.
Fast forward almost a year and she was terribly unwell - she has needed thyroxin for 20 years since having DGD - GP proved to be useless and her thyroxin readings were up and down and eventually the GP admitted he did not know what to do - it was months to wait to see an endocrinologist so again we paid to go privately. He told her that the downturn in Oestrogen levels since the operation had affected the thyroxin level and prescribed oestrogen gel. This seemed to work and she felt better but that was short lived. Another private visit to be told her thyroid had virtually packed up but to continue as she was - an increased dose of thyroxin - she was then referred to the NHS list. In the meantime her levels were fluctuating and she has been feeling so ill she has only been working four days - not good for finances! The last visit to the hospital when she saw another member of the team, as opposed to the consultant, she was told that the GP could now manage her - this with no provision as to how she should be treated! She objected strongly and said it was because the GP was unable to treat her that she had gone to see the endocrinology team. So now she has an appointment in November - three months gap.
The latest thing is that during the warm spell she has been so cold in parts of her body that she has been wearing a hat and scarf in the house! Yesterday morning her temperature on waking was 34.5 deg - as she has just moved house has been in the throes of changing surgery - went to the new one yesterday to be offered anti- depressants and told that the GP could not help her and she needed to wait to see the consultant in Nov.
Does anyone have any experience of this sort of thing or any advice as to what she should do next. I have suggested she keeps a chart of temp readings two or three times a day and if it gets worse to go to A and E or we pay again and she finds a different endocrinologist - there is another BUPA hospital within striking distance and in general there are different teams of doctors working there. I should also say that her iron levels have been very low and also her B12 levels - she has managed to increase these by taking a spray she bought in the health shop as the GP would not give her anything apart from iron pills some time ago, and she has been taking magnesium flakes in the bath which has helped her aches and pains.

Don't feel bad about going private, get better. We paid for consultation and operation for my husband earlier this year never thought I would go against principles I have strongly held all my life. However when balanced against the waiting for an appointment for NHS consultation which arrived three weeks after referral , the date was 4 months ahead , then a week later the appointment was cancelled and another date two weeks later was given. My husband was becoming more and more depressed I was becoming more and more stressed so we paid and now it's all done and behind us and he is fine thankfully. I feel for people who are not insured or who cannot afford to do what we did but would we do it again? No brainer really.

Having recently attended A&E in the early hours and finding it full of very happy youngsters with 'self inflicted' problems, something has to change this mentality. Treating one of these may cost more than Susie who is having to wait weeks in pain. I know who I would prefer treated. Another can of worms?

I think dogsdinner that someone is going to say that the 'administration' of these ideas costs more than the income from them - which is probably true, knowing how many those in charge seem to need to help them do their jobs! I agree with you though, and I also feel a small charge for meals taken whilst in hospital would not be amiss, after all, wherever you are, you have to buy food to eat, but I know that too has been dismissed as uneconomic.

ethelbags, we do have a two tier system, those who can pay do so.

Susie, don't feel guilty, like other posters, I have paid for an initial private consultation, once for myself, and twice for one of my (adult) children. Needs must.

Surely we are going to have to accept higher taxes or paying small fee to use A&E or visit drs. I have returned from living in a much poorer EU country and you pay 5€ and show ID to use A&E with not too long to wait. Mind you the downside was that quite often they were on strike.... We once had to get the vet to get out GC's stitches.

I don't think it's acceptable for someone like Susie to be in pain for 5 months Ana.

Not if he/she's not seen Susie, surely? GPs today seem to live in fear of being sued for prescribing anything off their own bat when expert opinon is indicated.

I don't blame you either Susie and I hope that you are better soon.

What I cannot understand is this business of your GP being unable to prescribe until after you have seen the consultant. I have heard of this happening to others too.

Surely if you have had a diagnosis, the consultant must have had some input into that and could email or phone your GP with a provisional prescription?

I could not afford to have private surgery, but what I have done on occasion is go for a private initial consultation. Often the consultation is sufficient for the consultant to then direct the GP.

I have no qualms about this, pay £250 for a consultation or wait 2 years for a consultation.

As others have noted, we have to do what is best for ourselves.
Don't feel guilty.

Yes - do not feel bad.

I have just returned from a private appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon and am probably going to have my hip surgery privately - I have so much on my plate with my foot also needing surgery (a much more complicated op with uncertain outcomes), and I just want to be able to choose the surgeon I have faith in and when I have the op.

I do not feel the slightest bit guilty. I have responsibilities to my family and need to sort out my health as efficiently as possible.

I have a small amount of savings, some from my Dad who died last year, and I think it is a good way of spending it. The children are behind me and want me to spend it on getting better.

Even if I couldn't afford it, I would prioritise it and find a way.

You've done the right thing. To make yourself possibly more ill by hanging on for the NHS would be foolhardy.

All the best for a speedy return to health.

Thanks - to be honest we cant really afford it, so it's going on the plastic, but hopefully will mean I can get back to work....

I think we should have a two tier health system, not to harm the poor but so that like Susie we should have the choice to pay if it means we get quicker treatment. I personally could never afford private treatment, however if someone can then yes they are saving the nhs money. So why is it like a bad smell if someone mentions 'private' in healthcare terms. If anyone wants to pay then le them.

Yes I would. I had a hysterectomy done privately when I was 47 because I could not afford to be away from my business for long. It was during the nineties recession and I had to work hard for every penny as well as paying the wages for 11 staff.

I do hope your treatment goes well, susieb and don't feel guilty. It's your illness

Yes, yes, yes! I'm an ardent socialist and fully support the NHS, who also use the private sector to help them cope. The difference is that you've saved them a few quid! That will help someone else, so don't fret - you have to get well and carry on earning your living. Hope it goes well susieb

Yes, if I could afford it. Why on earth should you have to be in pain for so long, just because we were led to believe health care would be free on the NHS whenever we needed it?

Sometimes principles have to be compromised, in my opinion.