Private health insurance

"Patients referred privately to an NHS consultant will join the NHS waiting list based on clinical need, similar to a standard NHS referral. While private providers can refer patients directly to NHS services if they meet eligibility criteria, they cannot bypass the standard NHS waiting list process. " AI generated response but if consultants are doing this they are breaking the rules and can be sanctioned.

Not my experience, nor that of a member of the family who's a consultant surgeon nor dd who is an anaesthetist but willing to accept it can happen.

PS. I never claimed that consultants use NHS paid time to see private patients.

The point is that if there were no private medical care, there would not be a market. Doctors might very well work outside their NHS contract, but that usually means they only have a part-time contract with the NHS. As there's a shortage of doctors, extras can't be appointed to fill the gaps.

Sorry, but your argument doesn't stack up. I'd rather listen to the actual people who do the work and know how the system works.

foxie48 I have known a number of consultants during my life and they have all said that paying for private medical care most certainly is queue jumping.

Growstuff it's not been my experience that seeing a consultant privately is a way of queue jumping, nor has it been the experience of several friends. Private work is done outside a consultant's NHS contract, if done in an NHS hospital the patient pays the NHS separately for using the facilities (I have recently done this) and the facility is used outside of normal NHS activity. My recent heart procedure was done by the NHS and I waited for nine months although I had seen my consultant three times over the last two years, no queue jumping but I really valued the time to sit quietly to discuss my options as it was a big decision for me. Interestingly, my consultant would not do the procedure privately because he couldn't guarantee it would work and he would have needed to use NHS facilities which would have been very expensive for me. I wish the NHS offered quicker treatment but to suggest that paying for a private consultation means you can queue jump is not correct, nor is it true that NHS consultants are using NHS paid time to see private patients.

I've no idea how much we've paid in premiums over 40 years, but I'd never complain about not having had our money's worth. I'm just grateful we have scarcely had to use it, I'd rather be the one paying than the one receiving treatment, be that in either system.

DH was misdiagnosed at A & E and sent away, only to suffer a necrotic burst appendix. He had emergency surgery and after 24 hours was well enough to be transferred to the Nuffield for his care. The consultant who came round to taken his case immediately changed the antibiotics he had been prescribed for a far superior sort, in order to hasten the recovery, belt and braces. The ward nurse was wide eyed because the new drugs were several times more expensive than the others. That, and excellent food saw him quickly back to work too.

Monica About the only self-funding I can possibly afford is seeing a dental hygienist, which is the only medical treatment not covered by my HC2 certificate.

I had excellent NHS treatment and still having follow-up appointments, mammograms and DEXA scans. I even had NHS-funded surgery on my other breast, so it is now more similar in size to my operated breast.

The woman made a big fuss, glared at me like I was a bit of dirt and shouted about me being seen before her even though she was paying for her treatment. I might have been a little more sympathetic, if she hadn't seemed so entitled and nasty. The radiologist said it happened quite often.

My consultant could tell from examining me that there was a lump and wanted me to be treated as quickly as possible for obvious reasons (cancer is life threatening). That's why he said there was no point having an ultrasound - it would only have been an extra cost and he knew I'd be referred for an MRI anyway.

We self fund.

growstuff I had the opposite experience with my carpal tunnel problem. The NHS demanded all sorts of extra treatments before they would consent to surgery, even though both my GP and the specialist said that the problem was so acute that only an operation could deal with it. What they cost the NHS I do not know.

When I had my second operation on the other arm I went from specialist to procedure in 2 visits to the specialist and one test that diagnosed other contributory problems to my problem. Like more and more people these days I was self funding, not reliant on an insurer. Health insurance is far too expensive.

I understand that self funded medical care is becoming more and more common with nearly 50% of all patients self-funding.

No LovesBach it doesn't work like that. There is a limited number of doctors, so NHS patients get pushed down the list. Private patients don't "release" appointments for NHS patients. They pay a premium to queue jump. Doctors can't see NHS patients if they're busy with their private patients.

I must admit I was feeling a bit smug when I had an MRI scan before my breast cancer op. I had been sitting in the waiting room with a private patient whose appointment was before mine. She was called in and then reappeared a few minutes later, very angry and swearing her head off. I was the called in early.

Apparently, her insurance company refused to pay for an MRI until she had had an ultrasound (which she hadn't had). I hadn't had an ultrasound either, but my NHS consultant said it was unnecessary and booked me directly for an MRI, which is much more expensive than an ultrasound. I'm sure she had one in the end, but she had to wait longer than I did and I expect somebody made more money out of her procedures.

We also decided to "insure ourselves" and used savings for a new knee and cataract eye surgery for DH.
The surgery he had for oesophageal cancer, private hospitals just don't do that. He made a stunning recovery and lived 11 years before dying at 87.
I paid to see a private GP when I knew that I had something seriously wrong with me, but she couldn't progress things any faster than the NHS GP. Soon turned into an emergency and I was in hospital having an emergency operation.

Doctors will always choose to work in both private and public or if they have to sticck to one do 10 years in the NHS, then 5 years private and then back t the NHS.

Private healthcare is mainly used to cover the failures of the NHS. I had my first carpal tunnel operation on the NHS. The waiting list was a couple of months. I had the second one done privately because the wait was over 2 years.

There is another point here, madeleine; the person paying for private healthcare has already paid into the NHS, and their private appointment is allowing the next person on the list to be seen faster. The other side of the coin, as you point out, is about NHS doctors undertaking private work. Some years ago I did volunteer stints at a local hospital, matching files with test results etc, and also sending letters from the consultant to apologise for the waiting time the prospective patient was enduring. This same consultant was seeing patients at the local private hospital from about 4 pm until 7pm. The system needs a shakeup - perhaps doctors should choose between NHS and private work and remain in that discipline.

I am against private health care in principle, and the only time that we had it was when we were working abroad and there was no choice from the firm. I stuck to my principles when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and a family member suggested that they would pay for me to go private. It was important to me to stick to my beliefs and I had excellent treatment from NHS and never regretted my decision. To me private health seems mostly to allow those with money to queue jump and get seen before many others with needs just as great as theirs. I also disagree with nhs trained doctors having private practise when if they gave all their time to nhs more people would be seen quicker. You do also have the worry that as you have no doubt seen if anything goes wrong at a private hospital with a procedure they are often unable to deal ith the problem and you can end up with a problem where you have to go to an nhs hospital and there will have been a delay transferring you . We all make our own decisions, but if you have money to spare saving it yourself would seem a better bet to me, rather than paying it to someone who then when you need them informs you that it is outside their remit.

I have private health insurance,it is paid for me by my late husbands workplace,the annual premium is astronomical.

I have used it several times over the years,one excellent service it provides is 24/7 access to a GP.

Definitely Pay as you go, when you get older.
Put money away. I was advised to do that by my Dentist years ago, when the practice became just Private. My premiums would be highish as I had two crowns, but my teeth overall are fine. Best advise ever, I would have spent thousands in premiums and only needed a check up every 6 months.
I have also paid for private Hospital Consultants advise, again worth it as in my case they refer onto their NHS list for a foot op.

I couldn't afford private healthcare anyway, but I've been very satisfied with the way my major health incidents (heart attack, breast cancer, skin cancer, T2 diabetes) have been treated on the NHS.

When I had breast cancer surgery, the consultant, who also works for a Nuffield Hospital and is rated very highly, told me that his private waiting list was at the time longer than his NHS list. I can't fault the waiting time or any of the follow-up I've had, including genetic testing and having a personalised programme.

The only problem I had was a GP who dismissed my symptoms of lobular breast cancer and obviously thought I was a hypochondriac.

Yes like most others we had private health insurance but after paying many thousands we cancelled it and put the money into a health fund.

We would always of choice use the NHS because that is where the expertise for emergencies, such as heart attacks, ICU, unspecified illnesses and stuff line sepsis etc is.

However, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer I opted to go private as I was too frightened to wait the 6 weeks for surgery. That came out of health fund.

But I am an absolute firm believer in the NHS - that is one area that should be available to all on an equal basis.

Luckygirl3

Teazel2

We have gone with Benenden Healthcare, not the same level of cover but does include private GP phone consultations, diagnostics and minor surgery procedures. Cost is £15 per month each. It supplements the NHS, but does not cover joint replacements or more major healthcare or on going treatment but we thought it good value for the cost imvolved.

I've looked this up. There are lots of exclusions. Have you found the GP consultations helpful? Or, without giving medical details, have any other services been available to you?
I have a very unhelpful GP surgery and am wondering if this aspect might be useful. If you use this service do you know if you have to travel to a Benenden centre for this?

We have only just joined the scheme so have not as yet used any of the services. The GP line is 24/7 and can be used straightaway. I believe if you live within a 2 hour drive from their hospital you go there, which is in Kent. Some services are available straightaway, others after six months or one year. I have spoken to two lots of friends who have joined the scheme. I decided to do this and save money for possible joint replacements etc in a savings account.

We've had private health insurance since 1989, now with BUPA. Although it's expensive and as others say isn't a complete service we have just about broken even on using its benefits so going forward even with price rises I'm fairly confident we won't lose out. We could of course have put money aside instead but would probably have raided it for necessities. Joining late in life is likely to be more expensive and may have important exclusions.

We've had private healthcare for years, initially with AXA but now we are both nearly 80 the premium was sky high unless we took a lower cover. We contacted a broker who found DH a policy with Exeter Health and me with BUPA. Probably saved a few thousand but when these policies come up for renewal in April we'll stop and save for any medical issue (hopefully nothing!) that needs to be sorted.

There was certainly no need to go private as to my recent cataract ops, when the optician advised they needed to be done, I told him I had private insurance, to which he replied "you won't need to go private". It was all dealt with unbelievably swiftly, hardly any wait at all, NHS have outsourced cataract procedures to SpaMedica in my area which are private clinics I believe.