[Misc] Would you pay to jump the NHS queue?

[zeetha]

My GP has referred me to the Royal Sussex ENT department for something that wakes me up most nights at least once but isn't life threatening.

On not receiving an appointment after a couple of months I rang up the appointment line to be told there is a 40 week wait to get an appointment.

I don't have private medical insurance, and I couldn't afford to go completely private but I can afford to see a consultant at the Montifiore or Nuffield (approx £200) who would then refer me to their NHS clinic (something I did in the past for something more urgent).

Just wondered what people views were on this - would you view it as money well spent or using money to go ahead of someone who couldn't afford it who might need it more?

I did think about doing a poll, but couldn't then decide on what all the options should be

 

[Brighthelmstone]

Personally, if its impacting my sleep and can afford the £200 to reduce the wait from 40 weeks down, i'd do it like a shot! Sleep depreivation has a big impact on us all.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Unfortunately, even though it is queue jumping, and serves to undermine the NHS, I would do it if I had the money.

I can justify it by saying that the sooner I am fixed the sooner I can get back to contributing to society through work. But in reality it is pure self interest.

 

[darkwolf666]

No, wait your turn with all the others with the same problem in the 40 week waiting list, who haven't got the money to go semi-private...

 

[darkwolf666]

Personally, if its impacting my sleep and can afford the £200 to reduce the wait from 40 weeks down, i'd do it like a shot! Sleep depreivation has a big impact on us all.

As it would all the others on the waiting list. Go private if you have the money, don't pay a subsidy to jump the NHS queue.

What next, a Dutch auction for appointment times at your GPs surgery!

 

[Knocky's Nose]

I would pay it if I could afford it. I bloody hate queues.... especially when it comes to my health.

When I was 30 years old I went to Ayia Napa. I flipped my Jet-Ski and ended up with torn muscles in my thighs as well as a hernia.

I came back, saw the GP on the Friday morning and was told it'd be 3 months to get a consultation - then a further 6 months before I could get the operation - so 9 months. I protested that I was a fit young man, with a physical jib, and a young family to feed. I needed to be well.

He suggested I go private if I wanted to speed it up. I then went to the Esperance in Eastbourne for a private consultation the following Monday, and was in theatre at the DGH having a hernia repair on the Thursday.

£1,600 well spent.

 

[Chicken Run]

No, wait your turn with all the others with the same problem in the 40 week waiting list, who haven't got the money to go semi-private...

Or set up a crowd fund page maybe?

 

[southstandandy]

Ultimately it's all about what you can afford to spend and if you can deal with the discomfort at the present time. I'm lucky that as a family we can afford to go private if necessary (we did with my dad who needed a new hip and was told he'd have to wait 8 months minimum on the NHS, so we used £9k of our savings to get it done for him within 3 weeks). Was well worth the money and hopefully saved the NHS a fair bit, but in a perfect world there was still a bit of frustration as we felt our hand was forced as we could afford to pay. It gave him a few more years of mobility before he ultimately became largely disabled and now ironically has to pay for private care as he has a reasonable pension, saving the state even more dosh.

If I were you I'd probably pay if it meant you did get seen quicker but that is purely a personal opinion.

 

[timbha]

By going private you are freeing up a space in the NHS queue

 

[darkwolf666]

By going private you are freeing up a space in the NHS queue

But he's not going private, he's being referred back to an NHS service and circumnavigating the queue by paying a specialist who help bump him!

 

[LamieRobertson]

I’m glad you aren’t asking us what we think you should do ..your health your money ..for me if I had the ability to pay then I would ..but judging each on its own merits ..hope your problem gets sorted

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I got faced with that terrible dilemma when my baby daughter contracted meningitis, aged nine months. My ex-father-in-law, a multi-millionaire Sussex businessman, felt as helpless as the rest of us, but, bless him, wanted to do what he could to make things better. I gently turned down his offer of financial help as I could clearly see that the NHS was throwing everything they could into saving my baby daughter's life. My daughter is now a healthy and happy thirty-something. For which I will remain eternally grateful to the NHS. And also to my ex-father-in-law for his heartfelt offer.

 

[beorhthelm]

But he's not going private, he's being referred back to an NHS service and circumnavigating the queue by paying a specialist who help bump him!

this assumes there is a queue for the follow on treatment or clinic. often there is not, the queues are in the consultation phase.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

My GP has referred me to the Royal Sussex ENT department for something that wakes me up most nights at least once but isn't life threatening.

On not receiving an appointment after a couple of months I rang up the appointment line to be told there is a 40 week wait to get an appointment.

I don't have private medical insurance, and I couldn't afford to go completely private but I can afford to see a consultant at the Montifiore or Nuffield (approx £200) who would then refer me to their NHS clinic (something I did in the past for something more urgent).

Just wondered what people views were on this - would you view it as money well spent or using money to go ahead of someone who couldn't afford it who might need it more?

I did think about doing a poll, but couldn't then decide on what all the options should be

I'm in a similar situation albeit via Royal Surrey. I do wonder if the wait is that big there too. I basically can't breath through one half of my nose due to a footballing injury and I've become a mouth breather (and snorer) as a result. It's not hurting anyone (other than my partner) but my sleep patterns are definitely much worse as a result and I'm now struggling to do cardio types of exercise.

What's the turn around from Nuffield to the clinic usually? If it's relatively quick I may give them a call.

 

[METALMICKY]

I would pay it if I could afford it. I bloody hate queues.... especially when it comes to my health.

When I was 30 years old I went to Ayia Napa. I flipped my Jet-Ski and ended up with torn muscles in my thighs as well as a hernia.

I came back, saw the GP on the Friday morning and was told it'd be 3 months to get a consultation - then a further 6 months before I could get the operation - so 9 months. I protested that I was a fit young man, with a physical jib, and a young family to feed. I needed to be well.

He suggested I go private if I wanted to speed it up. I then went to the Esperance in Eastbourne for a private consultation the following Monday, and was in theatre at the DGH having a hernia repair on the Thursday.

£1,600 well spent.

This! Paid similar amount for procedure at same hospital. Really begrudged paying it but was in pain and not prepared to wait 3 months.

 

[graysgull]

Been a member of Benenden for many years. Whem my wife needed a hysterectomy, they did a bloody good job and quickly. Saved us months of hell, and when I developed cataracts in both eyes, I had them both done before I even got an appointment for the NHS consultant.

Cost to me less than 20 a month. Bloody good value...

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Friend of mine who needed a new hip, could afford private but wouldn't pay, was in loads of agony. When we saw him said he looked like death warmed up, upped and died the next week. The pain from the hip had disguised sepsis!!!!! I would pay to go private if I could afford it...................

 

[Icy Gull]

I got faced with that terrible dilemma when my baby daughter contracted meningitis, aged nine months. My ex-father-in-law, a multi-millionaire Sussex businessman, felt as helpless as the rest of us, but, bless him, wanted to do what he could to make things better. I gently turned down his offer of financial help as I could clearly see that the NHS was throwing everything they could into saving my baby daughter's life. My daughter is now a healthy and happy thirty-something. For which I will remain eternally grateful to the NHS. And also to my ex-father-in-law for his heartfelt offer.

My daughter was born at less than 2lbs and very prem. The staff at the Royal Alex at the Seven Dials were nothing short of amazing and have my heartfelt thanks even now for saving the life of my now very healthy daughter who recently gave us a grand daughter, when the NHS works well it is works very well.

We did have private medical cover but very surprisingly they were not interested in claiming through our insurance.

 

[schmunk]

I got faced with that terrible dilemma when my baby daughter contracted meningitis, aged nine months. My ex-father-in-law, a multi-millionaire Sussex businessman, felt as helpless as the rest of us, but, bless him, wanted to do what he could to make things better. I gently turned down his offer of financial help as I could clearly see that the NHS was throwing everything they could into saving my baby daughter's life. My daughter is now a healthy and happy thirty-something. For which I will remain eternally grateful to the NHS. And also to my ex-father-in-law for his heartfelt offer.

My daughter was born at less than 2lbs and very prem. The staff at the Royal Alex at the Seven Dials were nothing short of amazing and have my heartfelt thanks even now for saving the life of my now very healthy daughter who recently gave us a grand daughter, when the NHS works well it is works very well.

We did have private medical cover but very surprisingly they were not interested in claiming through our insurance.

The NHS *should* provide immediate care for emergency procedures, and it seemingly does so brilliantly in the vast majority of cases, including these two - thank goodness.

Private healthcare is pretty much solely for jumping waiting lists for non-emergency procedures and accessing treatments not provided by the NHS (albeit the private providers tend to have fairly lengthy exclusion lists of their own).

 

[dangull]

That's capitalism really. If you have lots of money you can pay for better things than others. I wouldn't feel guilty about it.