Is this negligence?

JamoLew

Manxman_in_exile said:

JamoLew said:

...
Routine scans - yes, those will have a long waiting list

Although private care is available for cancer treatment - I generally wouldn't advise anyone to use their own money to pay for it as the treatment you get won't be any different.
Yes you might get to see the Consultant rather than a Reg - but unless you are attending a purpose built private centre you will get no different or faster treatment than an NHS patient will - you are probably only contributing to the Consultants new car fund

...

I agree that I'd be reluctant to undergo treatment as a non-NHS patient, but as you say, the waiting lists for "routine" and other scans and for specialist referrals in the NHS are so long that for many people it makes perfect sense to have that initial and investigative work done privately.  Seeing my cardiologist privately told me that there was absolutely nothing wrong with me and to stop worrying about four months earlier than if I'd stayed within the NHS.  But if I'd required treatment I suspect the private option would have been excluded for me on cost grounds.

Apologies - I totally agree with you, I was being specific to cancer care rather than other areas.

For example your case or "routine" stuff like hip replacement where the NHS wait is probably years now and private would definitely get you in and out quicker which does have great mental and physical (obviously) benefits

Torry_Quine

Manxman_in_exile said:

Torry_Quine said:

Manxman_in_exile said:

I don't see the OP has done anything wrong here.

As regards the rather self-righteous "I am surprised that you aren't using the NHS but it's your choice", I was a NHS manager for 25 years and I'm not at all surprised (especially at the moment) that people are using the private sector for scans and other investigative procedures.  I got referred to a cardiologist privately when I was still working in the NHS.  It saved me over four months of additional worry and stress.  I'm also currently waiting for an ultrasound scan for a possible hernia, and I'll certainly be exploring getting it done privately if I've heard nothing from the NHS by the end of this month.

Funnily enough, my wife had to have surgery in August that she'd been waiting a couple of years for.  I can't remember the precise details but she was waiting in some sort of pre-op setting along with two other female patients who were expecting to be operated on that morning.  But they weren't operated on that day because it turned out the NHS hospital had forgotten to give them pregnancy tests.  (Apparently that is a must do for pre-menopausal women who are due to be operated on).

I wasn't being self-righteous at all. I was genuinely surprised. If people can afford to go private then yes it is their choice.
 We couldn't have got the necessary scans quicker or the subsequent treatment.
Mistakes are made in both NHS and private settings. 

Then I apologise.  It's just that I thought your comment that "I am surprised that you're not using the NHS" wasn't exactly value free.  Many private procedures and consultations are not that costly and for many people it makes perfect sense.

Depends of course on what an individual thinks is costly. For something with a long waiting list then I can see why some choose to go private. 
I'm not sure either if you can mix private and NHS care. 

ToxicWomble

Yes you can - quite a few people use their private insurance/policy to get the initial consultation quickly and then revert to NHS once they are in the “system”

Torry_Quine

ToxicWomble said:

Yes you can - quite a few people use their private insurance/policy to get the initial consultation quickly and then revert to NHS once they are in the “system”

 Are saying that you pay privately to see the consultant and then join the NHS list to get treatment sooner? That's queue jumping and I don't think should be allowed. I apologise if that's not what was meant.

ToxicWomble

That’s exactly what goes on - not sure how widespread it is, but it certainly happens.
A large portion of treatment waits is the initial consultation, so it speeds up that part

calleyw

Torry_Quine said:

ToxicWomble said:

Yes you can - quite a few people use their private insurance/policy to get the initial consultation quickly and then revert to NHS once they are in the “system”

 Are saying that you pay privately to see the consultant and then join the NHS list to get treatment sooner? That's queue jumping and I don't think should be allowed. I apologise if that's not what was meant.

Yes, I did once many years ago.  My husband at the time, needed a nasal polyps removal. He was slim and could not smell and was not eating so worried he would lose even more weight.  18 months for a CT scan and then 6 months for the op on the nhs so a 2 year wait!!!!  Paid for a private scan which was was on the same machine as if we had waited.  Had the scan with in a week and then had the op on the nhs within 6 months.

And guess what I did feel gulity for a short while then thought nah his health out ranked that.  If he could have afforded the op we would have gone private but we could not. But £395 to get his op sooner was worth every penny.

Yours

Calley x

Aranyani

Manxman_in_exile said:

Aranyani said:

Manxman_in_exile said:

Funnily enough, my wife had to have surgery in August that she'd been waiting a couple of years for.  I can't remember the precise details but she was waiting in some sort of pre-op setting along with two other female patients who were expecting to be operated on that morning.  But they weren't operated on that day because it turned out the NHS hospital had forgotten to give them pregnancy tests.  (Apparently that is a must do for pre-menopausal women who are due to be operated on).

That can’t be right, a pregnancy test takes about 30 seconds, they could have just done it when they realised.

As I wasn't there I can only go by what my wife told me.  She's a solicitor and not prone to exaggeration.

Can only think the women had misunderstood, perhaps they were pregnant and that caused the delay! 

Undervalued

Torry_Quine said:

ToxicWomble said:

Yes you can - quite a few people use their private insurance/policy to get the initial consultation quickly and then revert to NHS once they are in the “system”

 Are saying that you pay privately to see the consultant and then join the NHS list to get treatment sooner? That's queue jumping and I don't think should be allowed. I apologise if that's not what was meant.

Why not?

You have saved the NHS the cost of providing the initial consultation. How quickly (or otherwise) you would have been treated after the NHS consultation would have depended on how urgent the consultant felt you condition was. Your position in the NHS queue, if you opt to revert, will depend purely on your medical need.

pollypenny

Torry_Quine said:

ToxicWomble said:

Yes you can - quite a few people use their private insurance/policy to get the initial consultation quickly and then revert to NHS once they are in the “system”

 Are saying that you pay privately to see the consultant and then join the NHS list to get treatment sooner? That's queue jumping and I don't think should be allowed. I apologise if that's not what was meant.

I've  used private consultations twice. The first time was for son when his cruciate ligament went. We had such an appalling experience in the local hospital with a doctor whose English was so poor that we could neither understand her or her us. Without us even mentioning the way son had been dealt with, the consultant immediately said there'd be no charge. 

The second time was when I had a prolapse. 1st grandson was due and we were going to America to meet him, then back two months later to look after him when DIL had to return to work.  I didn't fancy risking an America hospital bill!  Although I saw the consultant in November I didn't have the hysterectomy until August, so definitely no queue-jumping in either case.