HEALTH & WELLBEING
THE NHS is under enormous pressure; many trusts are overspending, waiting times are lengthening and there are mounting concerns about too few doctors having to see too many patients with too little time. But is using the private sector, which costs a great deal of money to access, a guarantee patients will be given as good or better care? And how do you get the best deal?
For some years the private sector has been regulated in just the same way as the NHS. The reformed and invigorated Care Quality Commission is doing a better job on its inspections in both sectors. Clinical governance, particularly in larger, more modern private hospitals, is as now good as the best in the NHS. In addition, the new Private Hospital Information Network (PHIN) will help you research a particular private hospital or clinic.
If you can afford high-quality medical insurance or can self-pay, there are clear advantages in “going private”. You see a senior, highly-qualified specialist; you have continuity of care; having tests is often faster, with appointments at a time of your choice and you benefit from the latest diagnostic and treatment technology and medicines. Higher nursing ratios, a private room and better food should be the norm.
It all starts with your GP. With detailed knowledge of you and your medical history, if you need to see a consultant, your family doctor is in the best position to make sure you see the most appropriate specialist. Except… if you are insured, sometimes your GP’s referral to a consultant or a particular private hospital may not be approved by your insurer.
Over the years, private medical insurers have generally done a tremendous job. But their costs have gone
through the roof, in response to skyrocketing prices of new drugs and new diagnostic and treatment technology. Understandably, insurers fight hard to keep prices down; in some cases they have restricted what they will pay out and they are directing insured customers to “approved” consultants who meet their lower fee limits. Which makes it vital to choose a private health insurance
(PMI) policy that suits both your needs and budget.
Dr Duncan Dymond is a leading consultant cardiologist with a distinguished career covering his NHS and private practices.
“You get what you pay for but you must know what your money will buy before you sign up,” he says. “If you buy a cheaper policy, it might not cover the costs of having a procedure in, say, a top London private hospital. Shop around and always read the small print of any PMI policy before you buy.”
If you need a particular procedure and can afford to self-pay, check out the packages from various hospitals and consult phin.org. Be sure you understand what a package covers and what the daily costs will be if your hospital stay is longer than planned.
Decide if you want PMI cover for hospitals around the country or in central London, where costs are far higher. Also, as with a car policy, you can often reduce the premium by paying an excess, or obtaining a no-claims discount. If you are happy to have blood tests or scans in stand-alone clinics, bills are often lower than in large city hospitals and the quality is the same. Some patients say they get a better deal by haggling. Some prefer to pay separately for physiotherapy or dentistry etc and buy insurance just for complex care. The key thing is to compare like with like — and that includes the small print on policies.
Doctors in the private sector can give you more time, more continuity and personal care. Dymond adds: “The care pathway for a patient in a private hospital is much less tortuous and it is so satisfying for us doctors to really get to know our patients. That’s far better for individual patients too.”