Kick backs have been a fact of life in many countries- but it has come to light that this is increasingly common in the UK too. Many Consultants with a private practice will be provided with free consulting rooms, etc, in private clinics- so that they will refer back to said clinic for treatment and operations- and also, in some cases, push for the most invasive and expensive treatment in that clinic- rather than more conservative care.
The sums involved in kick backs, can be astromonical and include all sorts of other perks, free staff, but also holidays, and all sorts of payment in kind.
And of course some consultants intentionally keep their waiting lists as long as possible, and then encourage patients to go private to cut waiting time to zero, via... the above clinics of course.
Churchill to be axed from British banknotes in the name of diversity.
