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[SueEllen]

long NHS waiting lists...such a scandal NOT.


https://www.theguardian.com/society/...ospital-queues

NHS trusts with record waiting lists are promoting “quick and easy” private healthcare services at their own hospitals, offering patients the chance to jump year-long queues, the Observer can reveal.

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East Sussex healthcare NHS trust has thousands of patients waiting for diagnostic tests but offers “fast access” to scans through its private division.
Great Western hospitals NHS trust in Wiltshire is warning patients that services are “extremely busy”, while its private division promotes self-pay treatment for those who “don’t want to wait for an NHS referral”.

James Paget university hospitals NHS trust in Norfolk is advertising private services on its NHS website, stating: “We provide highly experienced consultant-led services … without the waiting list.”

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Another trust, Hampshire hospitals NHS trust, is promoting services through its private Candover clinic. More than 53,500 patients were waiting for non-urgent elective treatment at the trust in October.

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Meanwhile, Kingston Private Health, the private unit at Kingston hospital NHS trust in south-west London, offers “rapid access” with “no long waiting lists”. Treatments include hip replacements for £10,100. Patients are cared for by “experienced NHS nursing staff”, the website says.

The Royal Free London NHS foundation trust writes on the website for its private division of a “quick and easy way to get immediate access to the healthcare you need”.

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[AtW]

Good - this should come with tax refund however, at the very minimum fully tax deductible expense

[cojak]

Well, if I needed something done, I’d rather pay an NHS Trust rather than BUPA. At least the money goes back into the NHS.

[vetran]

Well, if I needed something done, I’d rather pay an NHS Trust rather than BUPA. At least the money goes into the consultants fat bank balance while they use NHS resources to do the procedure.

Sadly FTFY a few relatives & friends are medical, its the same desk and clinic bed just a different bank account in the end. They don't even tip the NHS nurses they use on their normal shift properly.

I have no problem with Private medicine using NHS slack more efficiently and making a reasonable amount of money but they have to pay their way.

[d000hg]

Informing people there are private options is hardly a bad thing. We had a private dental treatment recently that cost barely more than NHS and was months quicker, but we only found out when we raised the subject - would much rather they had mentioned it.

It does raise the question, if there is all this spare capacity why doesn't the NHS use it? Buy private services to help clear the backlog.

[SueEllen]

Informing people there are private options is hardly a bad thing. We had a private dental treatment recently that cost barely more than NHS and was months quicker, but we only found out when we raised the subject - would much rather they had mentioned it.

It does raise the question, if there is all this spare capacity why doesn't the NHS use it? Buy private services to help clear the backlog.

Odd

My dental practice has always had pinned on their reception walls different dental private plans.

Then if you get treatment and the better option is private then you get asked by the individual dentist whether you want it.

So my dental treatment for the last 20 odd years has always been a mixture of NHS and private PAYG treatment.

[ladymuck]

Odd

My dental practice has always had pinned on their reception walls different dental private plans.

Then if you get treatment and the better option is private then you get asked by the individual dentist whether you want it.

So my dental treatment for the last 20 odd years has always been a mixture of NHS and private PAYG treatment.

Most of the NHS dentists I've had over the years have done that. If you wanted a white filling you pay private, but the other sort is NHS, etc.

I now have a private dentist and have to say the service is much better. Check ups are more expensive but actual treatment costs are comparable.

[vetran]

Informing people there are private options is hardly a bad thing. We had a private dental treatment recently that cost barely more than NHS and was months quicker, but we only found out when we raised the subject - would much rather they had mentioned it.

It does raise the question, if there is all this spare capacity why doesn't the NHS use it? Buy private services to help clear the backlog.

Sadly its disorganisation and arrogance that is most of the issue.

The spare capacity is used by the consultants for their private work and I doubt they are recharged possibly we don't charge foreign visitors who use it for free the NHS aren't going to upset their consultants. Also if the NHS was making a significant amount from private practice it would be advertised by the MPs.

I posted a couple of weeks ago about Guys & St Thomas managing a week's worth of operations in a day by organising properly no extra money was needed.

I and relatives have spent longer in hospital than medically needed because of NHS failings.

A significant number of beds are blocked because there are no care facilities available, if they charged a fee to the council exceeding costs charged by the local council these care home beds would quickly appear. Currently the council aren't penalised.

[cojak]

My SIL is a recently retired SRN and she agrees with the disorganisation and need for reform.

She has a heart condition and has noticed a steep decline in effectiveness and professionalism, and says it’s not all about more money.