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Amount of private work NHS hospitals can take to rise from 2% to 49%
Comments
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Really interesting thread this and lots of great points.
Maybe someone knows, but I'd guess that the number of 'no-shows' for appointments costs the NHS more than unpaid bills from people treated from abroad. Baffles me why we don't charge for no-shows if the person has no legitimate reason.
You will have the problem where people with legitimate clinical reasons that the business manager doesn't consider legitimate but the doctors do will be forced to pay, and end up with a mess like the government is currently having with their ATOS disability assessments.
It would be interesting to see if there was information on who was likely to miss appointments i.e. working people, school children.I'm not cynical I'm realistic
(If a link I give opens pop ups I won't know I don't use windows)0 -
Really interesting thread this and lots of great points.
Maybe someone knows, but I'd guess that the number of 'no-shows' for appointments costs the NHS more than unpaid bills from people treated from abroad. Baffles me why we don't charge for no-shows if the person has no legitimate reason.
In children (where I work) no shows result in discharge from clinics, and parents need to see the gp for re-referral with additional cost for the GP. The only exception is where social problems make it a safeguarding issue, in which case a call to social workers may be made.0 -
I think we need to be clear between appointments and consultations (clinics) and surgical procedures.
Firstly, all hospitals, private and public, have patients being looked after 24/7 on wards that are staffed 24/7.
Both public and private hospitals will avoid doing nearly all planned surgical operations at weekends due to a number of reasons. If you are putting a child under general anaesthetic, for example, and operating then it's not just the theatre you need as a whole host of staff and facilites will be required for post-op, pre-op and cover in case something goes wrong.
The difference is that private hospitals provide very minor surgery and clinics at weekends whereas NHS don't tend to. The reason is simple, which is that consultants want massive money to do additional work. The private hospitals will pay, the NHS doesn't consider it cost effective. I'm sure that every single NHS hospital would love to provide clinics at weekends as it would increase efficiency, but not at the very high costs that would be required.
I'm starting a new role in february in which I will have patients attend clinic to see me. I've asked if we can do some at weekends but the trust are not too sure as they will have to pay me 30% per hour more.
Regarding other clinics 0700-1900 would be best as staff are paid flat rate between these hours.0 -
OK, I'll accept a lack of specialists means you'd have trouble finding staff to work out of normal hours. That's a separate issue. But surely the planners could have designed NHS buildings and facilities that could be shared? Whenever I go to the GP's surgeries, most of the consulting rooms are not used, same with our local hospital - walk down a corridor and it's just one room after another unused at that time, and several seating areas with no-one around. It does seem that there's no sign of any "dual" usage of rooms or facilities - presumably because all the specialists want to work 8-4 so there's a shortage of facilities during those hours - but if you changed it to two shifts, you could have two teams using the same rooms/equipment. Take ultrasound scans - I know of at least five rooms with ultrasound scanners in our local hospital - I've been in them all - in one in the ENT dept), I was the only person being scanned that session - the scanner guy was late and I was sat alone in a waiting area for a couple of hours - he eventually came, scanned me, locked up the room and went away again. Yet, the ultrasound scanner in the radiology unit is always busy and has waiting lists of several weeks. Doesn't make sense at all to have one scanner working its socks off with long waiting lists and another on another floor barely used at all. That's where I see private work really helping - get that underused scanner in use for more time, and in the process, get some readies into the NHS coffers.
Most theatre times run from 8am in morning to 19:30pm, and not 8am until 4pm as you suggest.
The idea of running hospitals or GP surgeries to maximise the usage of consulting rooms or waiting area's is simply insane.
The Ultrasound examply maybe be a good one, although they are fairly cheap bits of kit, but again I'd imagine it is not the provision of the tool, it will be the person who operates it who is the constraint.US housing: it's not a bubble - Moneyweek Dec 12, 20050 -
Really interesting thread this and lots of great points.
Maybe someone knows, but I'd guess that the number of 'no-shows' for appointments costs the NHS more than unpaid bills from people treated from abroad. Baffles me why we don't charge for no-shows if the person has no legitimate reason.
probably because it would be un-productive to try and recover the costs.
The biggest users of the NHS are generally the people with least income/assets.
There should be more emphasis on it though.US housing: it's not a bubble - Moneyweek Dec 12, 20050 -
This funding option might be the right one, but I reckon it will also make a few people very wealthy.
Change = opportunity = potential profit!
No change = some inefficiency - No profit - No difference in cost to the Taxpayer.;)"If you act like an illiterate man, your learning will never stop... Being uneducated, you have no fear of the future.".....
"big business is parasitic, like a mosquito, whereas I prefer the lighter touch, like that of a butterfly. "A butterfly can suck honey from the flower without damaging it," "Arunachalam Muruganantham0 -
Looks as if Private Health care is 49% closer to taking over the NHS. We all knew this would happen sooner or later. Will the UK end up actually owning anything? Royal Mail being privatised within the next couple of years, NHS virtually wiped out within 5 years I reckon. Is there anything left to privatise or flog off? Time for me to sign up to Benenden I think.
The Royal mail sell off is an EU directive. The reason for it is that they want a few (about 3) pan European companies and no National/sovereign services. Sovereign countries must not be in control of their services/industries. The pan European companies will then come under the control of the EU. It is happening with Telecoms, energy and many other services/industries.
It would not surprise me if the changes to the NHS are also driven by the EU.0 -
Other staff and facilities.
I'm having an operation in January. I had to wait 2 months on the NHS.
Privately I would have the operation within 2 weeks if I was ready. However most of my friends and family who have private operations schedule their operations for a month later.
The only real benefit for private health care schemes is for sports injuries as if you are lucky and your doctor does bother to send you to a physio you have to wait anything from 2-8 weeks rather than a couple of days.
It does depend though. I had a private consultation booked once because the NHS waiting list was 4 months long. I had an appointment in a week when I paid.
A colleague at work found a lump in her breast and the NHS scheduled a surgery for 3 weeks later. She paid to get it removed within 72 hours. She then went back to chemo and radio on the NHS.0 -
If they couldn't leave the hospital or were arrested until they paid their bill by transferring funds/paying with a credit card then there wouldn't be a need to chase them for payment overseas.
Especially as this information would hit the world media.
I know the last time I went to A&E all the form stated is that if I was from overseas and didn't pay my bill this time, next time I may be refused treatment until I paid it.
BTW I'm aware it's not just the NHS who are not good at chasing people from overseas for payment.
What form?I have been taken to A&E around 30 times in the last few years and have never been in any position to fill in any form.
Perhaps you should have waited and seen your GP athe day after.
A&E is for emergencies not the walking wounded,seems you are part of the problem.Hi, we’ve had to remove your signature. If you’re not sure why please read the forum rules or email the forum team if you’re still unsure - MSE ForumTeam0 -
It does depend though. I had a private consultation booked once because the NHS waiting list was 4 months long. I had an appointment in a week when I paid.
A colleague at work found a lump in her breast and the NHS scheduled a surgery for 3 weeks later. She paid to get it removed within 72 hours. She then went back to chemo and radio on the NHS.
Jumping the queue over the equally as needy but less affluent.
I hope you are proud.Hi, we’ve had to remove your signature. If you’re not sure why please read the forum rules or email the forum team if you’re still unsure - MSE ForumTeam0
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