private healthcare v nhs

U105

Hi all

First post so please be kind!

I am a single mum with a son of all most 10 months and during maternity leave I took a pain in my stomach and after attending the hospital I was told that I needed to have an operation to remove gallstones. (mri scan had been carried out)

Spoke to consultant at the end of July and was told that waiting list for opp would be appox 5-6 months.

Up untill two weeks ago I was ok however I took ill again. The pain was so bad that I had to go back to the same hospital. They kept me in and took blood, then the same consultant told me that my gallbladder was inflamed and therefore the opp could not be carried out untill things had setteled down.

I was then sent home and told that I would need to have a further mri scan but this would not be carried out for at least 12-14 weeks.

The pain over the last week is very bad and I am to get my blood taken at the local health centre every week. Apparently the blood is 47 and it should be in its 20`s (not sure what this means?)

I was told by a friend that I should seek advise as regards to going private but I do not know the cost involved or how to go about it? (I do not have any insurance for going private)

also could I go outside the uk for the scan and claim the cost back through the nhs?

Just a thought as I would love to have no pain!

Any comments please

Thanks U105

bankersmug

With (I think) most Private Health insurance they don't cover pre-existing conditions for the first 2 years. That's certainly the case with mine.
You could always ask 3 of your nearest private hospitals for quotes regarding the treatment.

Might be worth getting a health policy for the future - I'm a 33 yr old single male adult and am paying £13.22 per month for Diamond cover from freedom healthnet. I have found them to be the cheapest for me.

kathy206

Hi! Sorry to hear of your health troubles.
I would seriously doubt you could claim the cost of an overseas scan thru the NHS. I agree with above post^^ if you want to go private it's worth ringing your nearest private hospital for quotes for surgery, but rest assured it'll be expensive. If you wanted to, I am sure you could pay privately for your scan but this prob won't speed up your surgery. I am shocked you've got to wait 6 months!! Do you have a clinic appointment in the meantime? Could you get your pain relief rejigged?
If the pain continues to be as bad then I would strongly suggest you go back to your GP to ask him to write to the consultant again, and keep going back when you feel ill. Unfortunately in this country you don't seem to get much unless you shout very loudly!! In the meantime, if you stick to a low fat bland diet, drink plenty of water and take pain killers REGULARLY it should help you manage your pain. I hope you feel better soon.xx

JohalaReewi

Some private hospitals offer a discount if you are a member of their friends association. Some offer payment by installments if you can't afford to pay at once. You can usually find out via their webiste.

You do need to keep getting your GP to remind the consultant of your condition and the need for an operation. If NHS is your only option.and your condition is just painfull but not life threatening, you could wait for a long time.

beechescomposter

Hi U105,

The details you give are a little confusing. MRI scans are not used to diagnose GB stones. This is done with ultrasound. Very rarely MRI is used to see a stone in the bile duct but if you had one of these you would have treatment endoscopically fairly urgently so I don't think this is what you mean.
Most surgeons prefer to remove the GB when it is not inflamed so the advice to delay your op for at least a few weeks is for clinical reasons. If you have had two episodes of cholecystitis (inflamed GB) then the GB ought to be removed but it is not an urgent operation. Getting another scan before the operation does seem a bit excessive if stones have been shown already. A private ultrasound in Hereford will cost £100 and a private MRI cholangiogram (to show the ducts) costs £200 if this is really what you are having done. A private GB removal will cost into the thousands.
If you are planning more children it is worth informing the surgeon so that they can work the waiting list around this. You ought to have the op before getting pregnant because you don't want an attack during pregnancy.