Something I don't understand about private healthcare...

londonman81

I have private healthcare which I have used in the past. However, in order to be referred to a specialist using my private cover, I have always had to get the initial referral from a GP.

However, where would I go in an emergency? i.e are there such places as private emergency units/wards/clinics anywhere? If not, then how does it fit in with private cover?

Thanks!

Mojisola

There are no private A&Es. If you go into a private hospital for an operation and become an emergency case because something goes wrong or you have a heart attack or stroke, etc, they call an ambulance and send you off to the nearest NHS hospital.

puddy

private care isnt designed for emergencies

personally its a load of rubbish anyway, you have to be virtually 100% healthy before you're covered and even then a load of stuff is not covered. i have all the classic problems that would rule me out of nearly everything that may develop: headaches, lump on forehead (been xrayed and nothing wrong but you never know), back problems, knee problems, kidney problems, bladder tumour (benign but you never know), menstrual problems, asthma, ecezma, the list is endless

out of all of them, a private insurer would find any reason not to pay out for something as they would consider that it was a pre existing condition

corbyboy

Which is why private hospitals are always going to be "better" than NHS hospitals, because they can pick and choose which conditions they treat.

Go to a private hospital with cancer and you will be sent off to the local NHS hospital.

puddy

yes, i think a lot of people dont understand that about private care, its usually a single room on an nhs ward, the care is provided by the same hospital and staff as the rest of us but you get seen quicker and have a room to yourself

susieb

Not always true, I have private healthcare and have use dit twice, both times in a private BMI hosptial thats was close to an nhs hospital. But all treatment was in private hospital, but they dont cover emergencies or children (at my local one) I keep my health insurance purely due to the fact you do get treated quicker if its non urgent.

shelly

susieb wrote: »

Not always true, I have private healthcare and have use dit twice, both times in a private BMI hosptial thats was close to an nhs hospital. But all treatment was in private hospital, but they dont cover emergencies or children (at my local one) I keep my health insurance purely due to the fact you do get treated quicker if its non urgent.

Agree with this. I have BUPA cover and both times I have used it I have been treated in a private hospital.

Hubby recently used it for the first time for physio on his back. Instead of going to our local hospital for NHS physio he saw a private phsiotherapist. When I needed physio I had to wait weeks for a NHS appointment as back conditions are excluded for me with BUPA (pre existing condition) but he saw the private physio in the same week as he initially saw his GP.

the_cat

Private healthcare is designed for queue jumping in routine cases, not for emergency care

The care you receive is not better (medically) although the food and surroundings may well be!

Often an emergency which results in a stay in an NHS hospital will be 'compensated' by the private healthcare company on a cost per night basis. A relative of mine recently had to be rushed in and stayed in the NHS hospital for several weeks. Bupa (or someone similar) has paid out over £7,000

Nicki

the_cat wrote: »

The care you receive is not better (medically) although the food and surroundings may well be!


QUOTE]

I disagree with this, having had private healthcare for the whole family through work for years, and also occasionally used the nhs.

With private healthcare you will always be seen by an experienced consultant for every appointment, not some young barely qualified doctor on the consultant's team. You will get the best treatment for your condition (or at least be offered it) not have to follow an nhs protocol of exhausting cheaper less effective options first. We've had 2 major experiences where private far excelled nhs recently. Our dd who has special needs fell and fractured her jaw, and the nhs could not fit her for surgery for a minimum of 3 weeks despite the fact she could not eat or drink and was in severe pain. She was operated on privately the next day. Our 4 week old baby was admitted to an nhs hospital for failure to thrive and discharged after a week still not having put any weight on with no advice and no follow up. After several months of investigations privately, he was diagnosed as having a severe dairy intolerance, put on a special diet and medications not available on frontline nhs, and almost immediately began to put on weight and his health improved.

I agree that its not ideal for emergency cases, in the sense of needing to be seen within minutes, but I've always in a semi emergency been able to see a private specialist within 24 hours and if needed been admitted to private hospital immediately, so it's not as impotent in these circumstances as you might think. With all the insurers I've used, its been possible to self refer and have the consultant sign the insurance form and provided you were genuinely in need of seeing a doctor (as has always been the case for us) the claim was paid in full.

j.e.j.

londonman81 wrote: »

However, where would I go in an emergency? i.e are there such places as private emergency units/wards/clinics anywhere? If not, then how does it fit in with private cover?

This is interesting, as I seem to remember a few years back they were piloting a private A&E hospital. I heard about it on the radio at the time (I think it was in Manchester, so not much use to LondonMan)
I don't think anything came of it, though, so for accident and emergency it has to be nhs, AFAIK.

Nicki

j.e.j. wrote: »

This is interesting, as I seem to remember a few years back they were piloting a private A&E hospital. I heard about it on the radio at the time (I think it was in Manchester, so not much use to LondonMan)
I don't think anything came of it, though, so for accident and emergency it has to be nhs, AFAIK.

That's interesting. I hadn't heard about this but a quick google shows there are two private emergency clinics in London too, one based at the London Clinic and the other at the Princess Grace hospital. They don't do things like road traffic accidents, but will cover things like heart attacks, fractures, sudden onset medical conditions, and you can self refer or be sent by your GP, and be seen within 15 minutes of arriving.