Should YOU shell out and go private to beat the NHS waiting list crisis?

As some patients face waits of up to five years for vital operations... (the answer might surprise you)

THREE-QUARTERS of a million struggling with agonising hip or knee pain in desperate need of a joint replacement operation, 600,000 awaiting treatment for cataracts, some people waiting up to five years for surgery... With these colossal logjams and delays it will come as no surprise that many have given up hope of getting help on the NHS – and have paid for private treatment instead. The pandemic sparked a mass exodus from the health service, with two million Britons biting the bullet and turning to savings, taking out loans or cashing in on

health insurance plans to finance a vital procedure. People spent £126million on hip replacements, knee replacements and cataract surgery between July and September last year, according to the most recent data. So should you join them?

The surprising truth is, private healthcare might not be as out of reach as you think. But if you are considering taking the plunge, it can be difficult to know where to start.

With this in mind, we spoke to the UK’s top private healthcare experts – and over the following pages, you’ll find vital details about how to find a private doctor, what you can expect to pay for common procedures, and how to ‘mix and match’ private and NHS treatment.

Read on, and arm yourself with everything you need to know to get the best care, at the best price...

REASONS WHY MANY DECIDE TO GO PRIVATE

YOU’VE been told you need surgery – but it could be months, or more, before your doctor will even give you a date for your op.

This is, by far, the main reason people choose to go private, according to health insurance broker Brian Walters.

‘People pay because they want timely treatment,’ he says.

‘Other concerns include comfort – if you want a room to yourself after an operation, rather than being put on a busy ward, then you’ll have to go private.’

David Hare, CEO of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network, says: ‘The things people go private for – things like hip ops for arthritis and cataract surgery – aren’t problems that will kill you, but they massively affect quality of life.

‘So people are saying, life is short, this is causing me trouble, can I get it sorted quicker if I pay for it?’

Experts say paying doesn’t necessarily mean better care.

In fact, most of the best private consultants also practise on the NHS, offering many of the same procedures.

But there are treatments that are only available privately.

Some operations, for example for enlarged prostate, bunions or varicose veins, aren’t offered on the NHS. This is usually because the procedures are very new, so

haven’t yet been approved. It could also be because the condition doesn’t impact the health of the patient enough to warrant an operation, under NHS guidelines, or because a procedure is considered cosmetic.

And cosmetic doesn’t just mean things such as boob jobs – varicose veins in the legs, for instance, can be unsightly and even cause discomfort, but the op to remove them is rarely offered on the NHS unless they are severe, and linked to ulcers, bleeding and pain.

Urological surgeon Marc Lucky says: ‘It takes time for a procedure to be evaluated and prove its costeffectiveness before it gets NHS approval – so if you want the newest thing, you might have to pay.’

YOU DON’T NEED HEALTH INSURANCE...

AROUND eight million people in the UK hold some kind of private health insurance, which pays out for treatment or surgery when it is needed.

But insurers won’t cover existing problems in a new policy, so if you’ve already got a diagnosis, and are hoping to reduce the wait for surgery, the only option is to pay for it yourself.

The number of people doing this is surging. Last year, Spire, one of the UK’s leading healthcare providers, saw a 47 per cent rise in patients paying for surgery out of their own pockets, while HCA Healthcare said its self-paid surgery has doubled since the start of the pandemic. This is partly because it’s become far easier to get care – until recently, only a handful of hospitals actually permitted self-paying patients, but now almost all do.

It’s also more affordable.

Many clinics now offer self-pay packages, which include tests, the operation, aftercare, anaesthetic and hospital care, for a fixed price. ‘Packages are increasingly popular because there is more certainty about the costs and fewer invoices,’ says Jack Griffin from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN).

It’s still worth checking the small print, however.

Griffin says: ‘There may be costs involved because of extras, say if you need extra physiotherapy or another follow-up scan.

‘So it is important to determine exactly what is included in the package.’

Other experts say it is also worth finding out the individual price of everything, to see if you really are making a saving by going for a package.

An initial appointment with a consultant – costing between £100 and £250 – is usually charged separately, package or no package.

The doctor must then write to you outlining the full cost of treatment they recommend.

HOW DO I FIND A PRIVATE DOCTOR?

EXPERTS say a good place to start – if you think you want to go private – is, in fact, with your NHS GP.

‘GPs often have a good idea of the local private clinics and might be able to recommend a surgeon or consultant who sees patients privately,’ says Griffin.

‘Many private hospitals will

request a referral from a GP or other doctor anyway before they can take you on as a patient.’ You might know what’s wrong with you – and what kind of treatment or procedure you need.

But you might feel unwell, or find a lump or have another worrying symptom, and not know the cause.

Most private healthcare companies offer fasttrack GP appointments, both online and face-to-face, costing between £50 and £150. Bupa (bupa.com), for instance, offers in-person GP consultations – often within a day – costing £70 for 15 minutes, and £128 for half an hour. Nuffield Health (nuffieldhealth.com) offers similar same-day services at multiple locations nationwide.

Experts say the benefit, in many instances, is that everything is under one roof.

You can go straight for a blood test in the building if a GP recommends it – of course, at an added cost. If you want to choose your own consultant and contact them directly, myhealthspecialist.com lists only private surgeons and doctors – searchable by speciality – who have been recommended by other doctors.

IS YOUR SURGEON UP TO SCRATCH?

PHIN (phin.org.uk) allows you to search private doctors by name – and may give you information such as the number of procedures they’ve performed and the medical, regulatory bodies they are registered with.

The National Joint Registry (www.njrcentre.org.uk) offers the same for hip and knee surgeons.

You can also examine reviews written by former patients of your chosen doctor at iwantgreatcare.org or doctify.com.

If the data isn’t published for a particular consultant, experts suggest contacting the hospital to ask them to supply the information – surgeons have been obliged to publish their outcome data since 2013.

It is also a good idea to check the consultant is registered with the relevant medical college – such as the Royal College of Ophthalmologists for eyes, or the Royal College of Surgeons for joints.

So how much should you expect to pay, and what do you (or should you) get for your money? Read on to find out.