Private Healthcare Question - How to avoid NHS

[Old Greg]

I'm sure this is an urban myth but I seem to recall that one of the hospitals in Newcastle had a ward dedicated to casualties of Newcastle Brown Ale.

I have done some work at the Freeman and it is true. The patients have an annual fundraising game of British Bulldog in Gretna with discharged patients from the Glasgow Royal Infirmary Buckfast ward.

[eek]

If you're in an ambulance you don't get a say

Depending where you are you do. Friend had a choice between Sunderland and North tees on Saturday and choose north tees

[SueEllen]

Depending where you are you do. Friend had a choice between Sunderland and North tees on Saturday and choose north tees

Choice isn't always good if it's between tulip and tulip.

Where I live if you don't look serious they take you to a smaller A&E so you are seen quicker.

If it is then serious you get transfered to the appropriate hospital for your op.

The staff from the smaller hospitals also work in the larger hospitals, and the consultants also work in the private hospitals nearby.

[SueEllen]

And remember that if your expensive private op goes sufficiently tits up, then you'll end up back in the NHS again.

They don't seem to have A&E or high dependency wards in the private sector.

That's what the NHS is for as well as training their staff.

[Old Greg]

And remember that if your expensive private op goes sufficiently tits up, then you'll end up back in the NHS again.

They don't seem to have A&E or high dependency wards in the private sector.

From memory, there is one intensive care unit in the UK outside of the NHS. And they do indeed blue light patients straight to the NHS when it goes wrong.

[SueEllen]

From memory, there is one intensive care unit in the UK outside of the NHS. And they do indeed blue light patients straight to the NHS when it goes wrong.

How much does that cost the patient?

Running a NHS intensive care bed isn't cheap.

[Old Greg]

How much does that cost the patient?

Running a NHS intensive care bed isn't cheap.

Good question. I think that typically the private sector used to dump the patient on the NHS at this point, but I may have that wrong, as the NHS is always trying to stop such behaviours.

A different scenario is where a patient being treated privately within an NHS hospital needs an ICU bed (e.g. for post-operative recovery) where there is a private tariff (2.5k per day in Leicester for example).

[Old Greg]

And I'm unsure about who exactly pays that tariff.

Which might concentrate the mind a bit.

Typically, the insurer.

[DodgyAgent]

Owing to a number of unpleasant experiences in our creaking health care system related to me by friends and relations as well as all the anecdotal evidence of incompetence and negligence that we read about every day I am keen to avoid the NHS at all costs.

The question is, though, is this at all possible?

If I were to suddenly develop, say, appendicitis, I'm guessing I'd end up in the local hospital - even though I have private health cover. And it would be in one of those ghastly assessment wards with people croaking all around.

And I'm guessing this is the same with any emergency. I'm sure in the event of a road accident tge local A&E is the best place to be but if I were ever taken ill I would much rather be going to the local private clinic from the start before I contracted MRSI or become the victim of negligence.

Is there a level of cover that affords this or do we all have to accept that we have to run the risk of the NHS from time to time?

You don't need the NHS when you have CUK to look after you

[Sausage Surprise]

From where you are head to Newcastle. Don't head towards Durham and really, really don't head towards Sunderland....

Why?

Me and all of our 4 children were born there - not a problem.
My father was treated for stomach cancer there in 1989...he is now 79 and fit and healthy.
They saved my eldest son's life when he was glassed in the neck with a broken bottle.
My eldest daughter had private treatment there for an ear poroblem 5 years ago without a hitch.
The north east isn't all about bloody NewcastleGateshead.