Private Medical Insurance
A cuationary tale.
Recently I had cause to visit my GP. He referred me to the Specialist at the local NHS hospital. Three weeks later I received a letter from the hospital stating that the current waiting time for an appointment was 17 weeks.
At the time of visiting my GP he hold me I could pay for a private consultation at 'about £300' and see a consultant with 10-14 days. What gets my goat is that the appointment would be with the same consultant as the NHS hospital.
Also, some 9 years ago I was admitted to the local NHS hospital for an operation on my shoulder for which I had waited many months. While there an elderly gent was admitted to the ward. He had undergone a hip replacement operation by way of a private hospital (PH) (paid for by a whip-round from his family) because he was in such pain that he could not wait the 18 months he was quoted for a NHS bed.
However, when all did not go according to plan the Consultant (who also ran the bad hip dept of the NHS hospital), had the elderly gent admitted into the NHS system immediately to rectify the situation ahead of NHS waiting list. (Definitely not fair). The PH should have put it right.
The PH told the old guy that the money paid only covered the cost of the operation and immediate post op care.
I believe that the PH should have had to cover the cost to sort the old gent out.
Neither he or his family had the money for this so he had to jump the NHS queue. I have nothing against the old guy, he was a very decent bloke. He took the path of least pain and I do not blame him. It is the system.
Never mind the quality, feel the width.