WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG?

MOST private providers will cover you if something goes wrong during the operation, or if there is a complication.

Some have time limits on this – for instance Aspen Healthcare will only fund revision surgery or complications that arise up to three months after an operation. Problems that occur outside this time frame will be assessed on an individual basis.

If urgent problems arise while in hospital, such as infections and septic shock, doctors will transfer patients to an NHS hospital, as most private centres do not have facilities for emergency care. If a patient is at risk of surgical complications, doctors may choose to perform an operation in an NHS hospital with a private wing.