Has anyone paid for a private operation?

mr_rush

I can only reiterate what Toothsmith said.

As a doctor, for all but the most minor of procedures, I would not use the majority of private hospitals. Very few have an adequate level of medical (doctor) cover, especially at night. I know of only a couple of big private hospitals in London with an intensive care unit. The rest will bundle you into an ambulance to the nearest NHS hospital and if you are sick, this delay in treatment is the last thing you need.

Many NHS hospitals have private wings. By far the best option: your own room, better food, generally some peace and quiet as 'sick' patients will get moved.

beachbeth

Toothsmith wrote: »

Who the flippin' 'eck else is going to use it?????



I think you mean a dedicated ward for gyny patients don't you??

Of course thats what I meant! I don't know if they mix gyny patients with other patients.

suki1964

As a former NHS administrator I can only reiterate what Toothsmith and mr rush have already advised - use the NHS and pay for a private room - all usually possible - even those hospitals without "private wings" will have side rooms which they will offer as private unless it is then needed for a medical emergency.

UKTigerlily

I'm glad I came across this post as I had no idea there were private wings in NHS Hospitals & Nuffield quoted me £5,700.11 for a Hysterectomy + Consultation fee. Very doubtful the NHS will consider it 'until i'm 35' which is dangerous in my case! so it has to be private. How would I go about getting it done at a private wing? GP referal? Can my Consultant Psyc refer me as he's aware of the urgency & importance of it

Westywoodpecker

I happen to work as a nurse in a private hospital, so feel qualified to answer.
I've worked in the same hospital for 22 years now & have obviously seen many changes, but many recently.

We now have a choose & book system where patients on the NHS go to their GP & choose their Consultant & also are able to choose their local private hospital. It's not for all operations, as it depends on which speciality that individual hospital has a contract with the local Trust hospital.

We now have 96% of our patients which are NHS. They are treated exactly the same as our private patient's with the exception of the food menu.

I do take your comments Toothsmith on board, but stress that it's certainly not the case at the hospital which I work at. We have an RMO (resident medical officer) on the premises 24 hrs each day. They work 2 weeks on & one week off.

We also have critical care facility with a critical care team & Anaesthetist on call. Sometimes our patient's are transferred to the Trust hospital due to the Consultant's not wanting to visit the patient on a regular basis, preferring to leaving that the more junior Doctors.

My advise to you UKTigerlily is to see your GP, & ask if choose & book is an option for you. It may be possible to have your operation done in a private hospital locally, by a Consultant, on the NHS.

Westywoodpecker

Toothsmith wrote: »

Just be aware that most private hospitals are just glorified hotels.

Many of them don't have Drs there 24/7 let alone critical care facilities should anything suddenly take a turn for the worst.

If that happened, then with the vast majority of them, it would be an ambulance ride to the local NHS hospital. No good if it's something like a sudden haemorrhage or a bad reaction to the anaesthetic.

I have private health insurance, but have always, and would always choose the private wing of my local NHS place.

Not quite the same luxury as the private hospital further up the road, but clean wards, more staff per patient, doctors always present, and an ITU a couple of corridors away!

Plus the profits from the private wing go back into the NHS trust! (for the poor people )

I've been to bed, & had to get up again as your post was praying on my mind.
I really could not disagree with you more. :eek: Our wards are so clean that you could eat your dinner off them, & the house keepers work very hard to keep it that way.

We have recently spent literally millions of pounds extending our hospital to enable us to accept more NHS patients, therefore reducing the waiting lists. We staff the ward appropriately according to that particular day's work load, even using agency staff if necessary. (very costly)

As my previous post stated, we have a resident doctor on the premises at all times, one works for two weeks, and another for one, filling in for their week off.

As for the comment of transferring to another hospital if eg, "you have a sudden haemorrhage " then that's my role. I am the hospital's transfusion nurse. Did you know we existed??

I would like to end by explaining how I was in charge of a late shift on Thursday. We had a patient who had post operative complications, but was now recovering nicely. The Consultant in charge of their care insisted that I transferred them out to local trust hospital. (They were an NHS patient). I stood my ground & asked why as they were now recovering & having positive results from frequent physio?? His explanation was that it was a Bank holiday week end. In other words he couldn't be bother to come in to review his patient.

There are two sides to a story.

Toothsmith

I take your points.

But you must admit your hospital is by no means the norm in the private hospital sector.

All your facilities will be the reason the NHS is using you for 'overspill'.

Patients needing complex proceedures - especially ones requiring general anaesthetics - really should check what would happen in their chosen hospital if there was an unforseen emergency.

In the case of your hospital, they would get a good reply and could go there with confidence.

mr_rush

Regarding the resident medical officer in private hospitals.

RMO is a dead end role offering no training or career progression. There is a reason why doctors who do this job do what they do... they cannot find meaningful work in the NHS or they are passing through the UK.

"you have a sudden haemorrhage " then that's my role. I am the hospital's transfusion nurse.

LOL! Are you going to take the patient to theatre?

Sorry all I can go by is what I see the majority of my medical colleagues doing: very few go into private hospitals for major work. This is because the level of care available after hours in private hospitals is significantly less than a box standard NHS DGH.

What happens if someone has a cardiac arrest? In my hospital there will be an anaesthetic registrar, anaesthetic SHO, medical registrar, medical SHO, medical house officer, a senior sister all at the patient within 2 minutes. What will happen at a private hospital at night?

Mojisola

I have to agree with mr-rush and Toothsmith. When my MIL went to see about having her BUPA-funded operation in a private hospital, she asked what would happen if there was a problem and was told that they would dial 999 and get an ambulance to transfer her to the local NHS A&E.

The hospital was spotless with lots of staff willing to fetch and carry, but no emergency cover.