How millions of NHS patients will get free treatment in private hospitals under government plans to cut waiting lists

Millions of NHS patients will receive free treatment in private hospitals under government plans to cut waiting lists.

Sir Keir Starmer yesterday pledged to make ‘better use’ of the private sector so that sick Britons can be seen more quickly for a wider range of issues.

GPs will be forced to actively tell patients when they can have their scans, tests or operations in a private clinic.

And appointments are booked through an updated NHS app or website, which tells users their expected waiting times at each NHS and private provider, the distance from their home and their quality of care ratings.

Patients can then choose between the two, with taxpayers footing the bill regardless of the option chosen.

Patient groups welcomed the announcement last night, but critics questioned how the extra appointments will be delivered given the country’s shortage of healthcare workers.

The policy is expected to see the number of private sector appointments increase by at least a fifth every year, from 5 million to more than 6 million.

It means private providers are likely to pocket £2.5 billion in government funding every year – taking their annual income from the Department of Health and Social Care to almost £16 billion.

GPs will be forced to actively tell patients when they can have their scans, tests or operations in a private clinic (file photo)

While patient groups welcomed the announcement, critics questioned how the plans would be implemented given the shortage of healthcare workers (file photo)

If the plan proves successful, the companies could invest £1 billion in opening clinics in deprived areas, enabling an additional 1.5 million appointments per year.

Patients are already entitled to NHS care in the private sector, but less than a quarter of patients remember receiving this care. Some GPs or health chiefs are reluctant to promote this option, and companies have strict exclusion criteria that allow them to pick out the easiest cases.

The Prime Minister revealed his plans during a speech at Epsom Hospital, Surrey, where he outlined how he plans to reform the NHS’s elective care.

He acknowledged that some on the left will object to the extensive use of the private sector, but emphasized that he is “not interested in putting ideology ahead of patients” and that he is committed to ensuring that everyone can access timely care when he needs it.

Under the ‘historic’ new deal between the NHS and the independent sector, women waiting on gynecology waiting lists and orthopedics patients will receive free treatment in the private sector.

In gynecology there is currently a backlog of 260,000 women waiting longer than the target of 18 weeks for treatment, while in orthopedics more than 40 percent of patients wait longer.

The independent sector has agreed to review its ‘clinical exclusion criteria’ to ensure the ‘widest possible cohort of patients’ can be treated in private hospitals. The healthcare providers are paid the same rate as NHS hospitals for the treatments they provide.

The independent sector has agreed to review its ‘clinical exclusion criteria’ to ensure the ‘widest possible cohort of patients’ can be treated in private hospitals (file photo)

Figures show that an estimated 6.34 million people were on the NHS waiting list for 7.54 million treatments at the end of October.

Sir Keir pledged by the end of this Parliament to diagnose and treat 92 percent of patients within 18 weeks of receiving a referral from a GP – an increase from 35 percent now and a target that has not been met for almost a decade fetched.

The Government hopes to reduce waiting times by creating a wider network of community diagnostic centres, which will provide tests, scans and endoscopy 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

General practitioners can refer patients to these centers without prior consultation with a consultant.

Sir Keir said rebuilding the NHS is the “cornerstone” of rebuilding Britain and that “no institution” is more important to the country’s security.

But he stressed it must not become a ‘national money pit’, adding: ‘To catapult the service into the future, we need an NHS that is reformed from top to bottom – millions more agreements signed, sealed and delivered with the plan we are launching here today.”

Deborah Alsina, CEO of charity Versus Arthritis, said: ‘We welcome today’s Elective Recovery Plan for reducing NHS waiting times, a crucial step in ensuring people with arthritis can access the treatment they need to have.

A wider network of community diagnostic centers will provide tests and scans 24/7 to reduce waiting times, the government said (file photo)

But Dr. Tony O’Sullivan, from campaign group Keep Our NHS Public, said: ‘Private “spare capacity” relies on NHS staff and funding to fund their expansion.

‘Feeding the parasite undermines the health of the NHS host.’ Health Minister Wes Streeting says in today’s Mail that the plan will put an end to ‘Dickensian’ horror stories of people falling into debt or launching fundraising campaigns to pay for their operations.

He adds: “Whether you are the richest person in this country or the poorest, you should be able to get quality healthcare when you need it.

‘That’s why we have signed a new agreement with the independent sector, the first of its kind in 25 years.’