Can I choose which test/procedure I go private and which one I go with NHS?

fryderykchopin

My wife and I have had our initial appointment with our GP due to her not being able to get pregnant.

The GP has requested two blood tests for her and one semen analysis for me.

She got both appointments this month, but my appointment for the semen analysis has been scheduled on 1st December 2022. Given our ages, we can't afford to wait that long just for an initial test/analysis.

We have started as NHS-funded patients and I was wondering what are our options:

• Can we switch to private patients after we have started as NHS patients? What should we do?
• Can I choose which parts I go private and which parts I go with NHS? My GP referred me to a fertility clinic that has both NHS and private options. When I booked my semen analysis appointment, I was asked if I was being funded by NHS or privately. Would it be possible to go private for the semen analysis and, if later on we need other tests/procedures, decide which one of them we go private and which ones we go with NHS? I'm not sure if we can mix or not, but certainly that level of flexibility would be ideal.

Thanks for any advice I can get on this.

Floss

Maybe look to see if you can go to an alternative hospital for your test, speak to them to see what their waiting time is and then ask your GP to refer you there.

Browntoa

I've swapped between private initial tests to NHS treatment afterwards 

Undervalued

fryderykchopin said:

My wife and I have had our initial appointment with our GP due to her not being able to get pregnant.

The GP has requested two blood tests for her and one semen analysis for me.

She got both appointments this month, but my appointment for the semen analysis has been scheduled on 1st December 2022. Given our ages, we can't afford to wait that long just for an initial test/analysis.

We have started as NHS-funded patients and I was wondering what are our options:

• Can we switch to private patients after we have started as NHS patients? What should we do?
• Can I choose which parts I go private and which parts I go with NHS? My GP referred me to a fertility clinic that has both NHS and private options. When I booked my semen analysis appointment, I was asked if I was being funded by NHS or privately. Would it be possible to go private for the semen analysis and, if later on we need other tests/procedures, decide which one of them we go private and which ones we go with NHS? I'm not sure if we can mix or not, but certainly that level of flexibility would be ideal.

Thanks for any advice I can get on this.

Yes you have a right to a copy of any test results, scans etc done under the NHS and can take them to any private doctor you choose.

Obviously if the private doctor wants further or different tests he can't directly insist the NHS does them, unless the NHS also considers them necessary.

Sncjw

If you go private and the. Nhs you will go to the back of the queue and go through the 18 week pathway again. But with the way the nhs is at the moment it could be longer than that. Just because you had private tests doesn't mean you jump the queue. 

Apollonia

Sncjw said:

If you go private and the. Nhs you will go to the back of the queue and go through the 18 week pathway again. But with the way the nhs is at the moment it could be longer than that. Just because you had private tests doesn't mean you jump the queue. 

That's not true, they will not "go to the back" of the NHS waiting list. 

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/if-i-pay-for-private-treatment-how-will-my-nhs-care-be-affected/

The guidance says:

• your NHS care will continue to be free of charge
• you can't be asked to pay towards your NHS care, except where legislation allows charges, such as prescription charges
• the NHS can't pay for or subsidise your private hospital treatment
• there must be as clear a separation as possible between your private treatment and your NHS treatment
• your position on a NHS waiting list shouldn't be affected if you choose to have a private consultation

unforeseen

Why does it take so long to get a semen analysis? 
For me it was drop the specimen into the GP by 10AM to catch the sample transport to the hospital. GP had the results in 3 days. 

Undervalued

Apollonia said:

Sncjw said:

If you go private and the. Nhs you will go to the back of the queue and go through the 18 week pathway again. But with the way the nhs is at the moment it could be longer than that. Just because you had private tests doesn't mean you jump the queue. 

That's not true, they will not "go to the back" of the NHS waiting list. 

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/if-i-pay-for-private-treatment-how-will-my-nhs-care-be-affected/

The guidance says:

• your NHS care will continue to be free of charge
• you can't be asked to pay towards your NHS care, except where legislation allows charges, such as prescription charges
• the NHS can't pay for or subsidise your private hospital treatment
• there must be as clear a separation as possible between your private treatment and your NHS treatment
• your position on a NHS waiting list shouldn't be affected if you choose to have a private consultation

Yes - ish!

There is nothing to stop you seeking private treatment whilst remaining on a NHS waiting list, so that you don't lose your place in the queue. You don't have to share details of any private treatment with the NHS, unless the private consultant makes that a condition of seeing / treating you. Some do.

If the private tests were to reveal a previously unknown urgent issue, your GP can then re-refer you to the NHS using a quicker pathway including, if appropriate, the so called "two week wait". In that scenario you have effectively "jumped the queue".

fryderykchopin

unforeseen said:

Why does it take so long to get a semen analysis? 
For me it was drop the specimen into the GP by 10AM to catch the sample transport to the hospital. GP had the results in 3 days. 

I phoned them up about the appointment date. I ended up accepting to pay £160 to have the semen analysis done privately, then the waiting time went down to 2 weeks (from the initial 5 months if paid by NHS).

This clinic has both private and NHS patients and they said you can chose. I'm not sure if their NHS capacity is so low, or their NHS service is so heavily used, or they simply give you a ridiculous waiting time to make you want to go private.

Do they get paid more from private patients than from the NHS for the same service? That would answer the question...

inez83

Hi sorry if under the wrong thread. I hope someone can help and clarify.

I had no NHS dentist and called 111 emergency for my tooth extraction- thankfully the surgery accepted me and now I can use the NHS care.

The question: I went for the emergency treatment and my tooth was extracted a week ago , I paid band 2. I was told no antibiotic is needed as there is no infection.
Week later still in pain, called for the check up, and tit looks like a different dentist say that the infection has not cleraed out |(as normally the is infection during extraction? that clears itself ). 

They charged me again for a check up band 1 only for checking the tooth they extracted (which didn't need antibiotic) . I thought this would be covered under Band 2 I paid already a week ago?
Any advice welcome. If I knew that they charged me I would have gone to my GP for prescription saving 20£! Not happy ;( What if it doesn't clear out do I go again and I will be charged on every visit under NHS?? Ridiculous

inez83

Thank you for any advice.