Patients resort to paying for their operations

Long NHS waiting lists lead to sharp rise in demand for hip and eye procedures at private hospitals

PATIENTS are turning to the private sector for hospital visits amid growing waiting lists and rationing in the NHS.

Private companies have seen a 53 per cent rise in take-up in just four years as analysts said the market for operations such as hip surgery and for cataracts had been fuelled by “very high waits for NHS diagnosis and treatment”. Since 2013, those waiting more than six months for operations had tripled, with 445,360 such cases.

Prof Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said last night that it was “completely shameful” that patients unable to work or go about their daily activities were being forced to resort to paying for operations that the NHS should provide for free.

Two thirds of NHS trusts have private facilities that charge for treatment, with some advertising the opportunity to jump the queue. Typically, clinics and private providers charge between £9,000 and £14,000 for a hip replace- ment, and up to £5,000 for cataract operations. It comes amid deepening rationing across the NHS. In Sussex, it is being proposed that patients should endure “uncontrolled, intense and persistent” pain for six months before being referred for hip surgery.

Doctors say restrictions planned by seven clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are so severe that patients are at risk of becoming addicted to painkillers. Hernia patients must prove they are in so much pain they cannot work before being considered for surgery.

Most CCGs refuse to fund the surgery until patients are so debilitated that everyday life is affected. Mean- while, two-thirds of trusts are limiting cataract surgery to the worst cases.

Waiting times for cancer treatment are the worst since data began being collected a decade ago. More than one in five patients have to wait in excess of two months. A report by market analysts LaingBuisson says patients are increasingly paying for operations they might have expected free on the NHS.

Figures show that between 2012 and 2016, spending on “self pay” treatment rose from £454million to £701million – a rise of 53 per cent, including a 13 per cent rise in 2016. The statistics exclude fees paid via health insurance, and any cosmetic treatments. Experts said the increase was particularly high among the over-50s. Spire, a private medical care provider, said its self-pay revenues had risen 8 per cent since January.

Prof Alderson warned: “The recent decision by some commissioning groups to make patients effectively beg for a hip or knee replacement will only increase the likelihood of more patients going private.” He added that it was “unacceptable” not to routinely fund effective treatments for those who had paid their taxes.

John Kell, head of policy at The Patients Association, said: “It’s only natural that people who are in pain and discomfort, but can afford to pay, will opt to jump the queue. But those who can’t afford to do this are left to suffer.”

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: “We recognise NHS budgets are under huge pressure, but older people who need operations must be able to get them within a timescale based on their clinical need, not their bank balance.”

A government spokesman said: “The NHS is carrying out 2.2 million more operations compared to 2009/10.

“Decisions about when or whether treatment is carried out are rightly made by doctors based on what is best for their patient – if such treatment is deemed necessary we expect patients to have access to it in a timely way.”