How does private health care/insurance work?

MonkeyDr

One more thing: now you have carpal tunnel and headaches and dizziness and chest pain you will have to declare all of that when getting a private insurance quote. I think there would be a lot of exclusions / higher premium than you are anticipating.

If I were an actuary (which I am not) then I would be more concerned about someone with undiagnosed symptoms than I would about someone with e.g. migraines (not that I am saying your headaches sound like migraines)

ska_lover

I have had a few bad experiences with the NHS, and when I started my current job - I joined the healthcare scheme for me and my spouse, costs about £40 a month for both


We have claimed twice and had no problems with private care or the provider whatsoever - almost immediate appointments with specialists. As soon as you get the go ahead from your provider and a referral GP letter you can book an appointment with a specialist of your choosing and even evening appointments


I asked my GP to refer me to a private specialist for a second opinion as I felt my ongoing chest pain was not acid reflux, and it turned out I was right.


If you feel something is wrong, then it could well be and it is well known that the NHS were offering bonuses to GPs to cut referrals. They have no vested interest in your survival and will quite happily blanket diagnose people with the most common diagnoses for your symptom type if it means saving a few grand on tests

MonkeyDr

ska_lover wrote: »

If you feel something is wrong, then it could well be and it is well known that the NHS were offering bonuses to GPs to cut referrals. They have no vested interest in your survival and will quite happily blanket diagnose people with the most common diagnoses for your symptom type if it means saving a few grand on tests

I think we are a long way apart on our views and cannot be bothered to have a long argument about this.

However I feel that I must correct some of your misconceptions. In my role as a secondary care (i.e. hospital) doctor I have no incentive at all to not appropriately investigate or refer someone. I do it all the time. I get no bonus whatever I do.

My vested interest in my patients' survival is rooted in my being a compassionate and decent human being, just like the vast majority of other healthcare workers. I see no evidence GPs are different.

Doctors of any sort don't "save a few grand on tests", we work for and care about, but are not synonymous with the NHS. Why on earth do you think I might prefer it if my patients aren't properly investigated? What would be in it for me? You are sorely mistaken if you think my hospital write me a cheque each year representing the costs saved on scans I could have ordered but chose not to. But do note that "properly investigated" does not mean every possible test under the sun done, for reasons see my earlier posts.

I do not "blanket diagnose" people. but diagnosis is rarely absolutely definitive, and is nearly always based on a balance of probabilities from considering the information. Common things ARE common, and that is why they are frequently diagnosed.

JayJay100

ska_lover wrote: »

I have had a few bad experiences with the NHS, and when I started my current job - I joined the healthcare scheme for me and my spouse, costs about £40 a month for both


We have claimed twice and had no problems with private care or the provider whatsoever - almost immediate appointments with specialists. As soon as you get the go ahead from your provider and a referral GP letter you can book an appointment with a specialist of your choosing and even evening appointments


I asked my GP to refer me to a private specialist for a second opinion as I felt my ongoing chest pain was not acid reflux, and it turned out I was right.


If you feel something is wrong, then it could well be and it is well known that the NHS were offering bonuses to GPs to cut referrals. They have no vested interest in your survival and will quite happily blanket diagnose people with the most common diagnoses for your symptom type if it means saving a few grand on tests

I went for the evening appointment option; my specialist was late, as his list at the NHS hospital some eight miles away had over run, and he was caught in traffic. Yes, I was seeing a specialist who had already put a full day's work in. His secretary was lovely, I had some very nice tea and biscuits while I was waiting; we all did, and there was some beautiful art on the walls to look at, but when the man arrived, he was shattered.

He decided that a small operation was appropriate, and I had some choices. As it was only under local anaesthetic: I could either have an early operation the following week, before his NHS commitments, an operation in the evening, after his NHS commitments; an operation at any time on the Friday, as he only worked privately on that day; or he was happy to see me as part of his NHS list, with an eight to ten week delay. He cheerfully told me that it was the same person, the same treatment, bar a floral gown, and I'd save myself 1800 quid: his words.

Mrs_Ryan

Your GP sounds as useless as mine.
I’ve had an ongoing issue with my right shoulder since I injured it in a collision last year. I had a bit of NHS physio which eased it for a bit then I injured it again when I fell on a bus. My lawyers arranged some private physio for me which I had for six months but at the end I was still in considerable pain. My physio was concerned and asked me to see my GP as I may need a referral to hospital.
I duly made an appointment to see a GP. After explaining that I had had extensive private physio that hadn’t worked, the GP I saw said ‘oh we’ll give you some co-codamol and a few sessions of physio and you’ll be fine.’
He had my notes in front of him that said in bold capitals ‘do not prescribe co-codamol due to previous addiction’ and also I had told him I had had extensive physio already. I told him to check my notes and once again re-iterated I had had physio. He then shrugged and said ‘so what do you want me to do as I don’t know who to refer you to’
He then asked me to go and see another GP as ‘they might know better what to do with you’ the pain became almost unbearable over the weekend so I went back to see a different GP on the Monday who at least gave me some pain relief and she wasn’t happy that the other GP hadn’t attempted to do anything.
Another of the GP’s I had a phone consult with about my mental health said she knew I was in a lot of pain and that it wasn’t helping my mental health.
My lawyer isn’t happy- she did say that she would try and get me seen privately if possible. I wish I could afford to pay for private healthcare as my GP is really that bad. And don’t get me started on the GP who told me I had trapped wind when it was gallstones and then actually lied to cover up her mistake. She got the sack though so I think that must have been the final straw with her.

ska_lover

MonkeyDr wrote: »

I think we are a long way apart on our views and cannot be bothered to have a long argument about this.

.

I was talking only of my experience. If you are offended by that, not my problem


I was talking of GPs blocking referrals. If a person gets to see you- a hospital doctor, they have already passed that point and are in a more privileged position than I managed to get to


Going to the GPs for months, in agony, and being fobbed off with prescriptions and eventually going private a serious condition being found, not really defendable behavior and the fact there are so many complaints and court cases shows it is a failing system

gettingtheresometime

Whether the need to take out private health insurance is right or wrong, the first question you need to ask yourself is can you afford it?


I'm a member of Benendian - never had to use them or contemplate using them so I can't say how good they are when called upon.

ska_lover

JayJay100 wrote: »

I went for the evening appointment option; my specialist was late, as his list at the NHS hospital some eight miles away had over run, and he was caught in traffic. Yes, I was seeing a specialist who had already put a full day's work in. His secretary was lovely, I had some very nice tea and biscuits while I was waiting; we all did, and there was some beautiful art on the walls to look at, but when the man arrived, he was shattered.

He decided that a small operation was appropriate, and I had some choices. As it was only under local anaesthetic: I could either have an early operation the following week, before his NHS commitments, an operation in the evening, after his NHS commitments; an operation at any time on the Friday, as he only worked privately on that day; or he was happy to see me as part of his NHS list, with an eight to ten week delay. He cheerfully told me that it was the same person, the same treatment, bar a floral gown, and I'd save myself 1800 quid: his words.

Would your health insurance not have covered it?


If you were self funding, I don't blame you for waiting (assuming it was a non urgent / non painful issue)

JayJay100

ska_lover wrote: »

Would your health insurance not have covered it?


If you were self funding, I don't blame you for waiting (assuming it was a non urgent / non painful issue)

I was self-funding at that point. I'd been to my GP and to a NHS specialist, who was covering for the person I was supposed to see; she mentioned the outside chance of skin cancer. I wasn't prepared to wait, as it was on my face and close to my eye. A friend's husband had died of skin cancer; I had the money, so I had it sorted in 10 days, including the pathology. The thing that amazed me was that my private appointment was with a doctor with the same name as my NHS appointment should have been; never in a million years did I think it would be the same man. Never in a million years did I think he would be running to the roles side-by-side.

Jlawson118

Mrs_Ryan wrote: »

Your GP sounds as useless as mine.
I’ve had an ongoing issue with my right shoulder since I injured it in a collision last year. I had a bit of NHS physio which eased it for a bit then I injured it again when I fell on a bus. My lawyers arranged some private physio for me which I had for six months but at the end I was still in considerable pain. My physio was concerned and asked me to see my GP as I may need a referral to hospital.
I duly made an appointment to see a GP. After explaining that I had had extensive private physio that hadn’t worked, the GP I saw said ‘oh we’ll give you some co-codamol and a few sessions of physio and you’ll be fine.’
He had my notes in front of him that said in bold capitals ‘do not prescribe co-codamol due to previous addiction’ and also I had told him I had had extensive physio already. I told him to check my notes and once again re-iterated I had had physio. He then shrugged and said ‘so what do you want me to do as I don’t know who to refer you to’
He then asked me to go and see another GP as ‘they might know better what to do with you’ the pain became almost unbearable over the weekend so I went back to see a different GP on the Monday who at least gave me some pain relief and she wasn’t happy that the other GP hadn’t attempted to do anything.
Another of the GP’s I had a phone consult with about my mental health said she knew I was in a lot of pain and that it wasn’t helping my mental health.
My lawyer isn’t happy- she did say that she would try and get me seen privately if possible. I wish I could afford to pay for private healthcare as my GP is really that bad. And don’t get me started on the GP who told me I had trapped wind when it was gallstones and then actually lied to cover up her mistake. She got the sack though so I think that must have been the final straw with her.

We used to have a doctor who was absolutely fantastic, but unfortunately he retired. Shortly after he retired, I must have been between 12 - 15 and I had a fit when I got out of the shower. No prior history of epilepsy or any kind of fits it just happened this one time, and it was when the current doctor now took over. He just told me it was a small faint. He wasn't there, I was unconscious and my grandma found me shaking like crazy on the bathroom floor. I don't think that was just a faint. And I knew even then it was going to be a fun future with this doctor..

Since then the other doctors in the surgery have come and gone. Had one around three years ago who took interest in my problems and kept checking up on me and managed to find the right medication for me straight away. That doctor saved my life. But unfortunately he left.

It's just a waste of time.

Unfortunately my grandad passed away Wednesday night. And I think what is hurting me more is that they could have found this cancer a lot earlier if they'd have sent him for a scan over 18 months ago before they actually did. He kept asking them for a long time and they refused