Private hospitals have put forward a radical plan to invest £1 billion to ‘save the NHS’ and help tackle record waiting lists. It would see companies such as Bupa, Circle Health Group and Care UK put money into improving NHS services in return for government contracts.
It has already proven controversial, with critics calling it an ‘NHS privatization plan’ and an ‘expensive gimmick’.
However, experts say many patients are unaware that private hospitals already offer treatment to NHS patients – and thousands of those appointments go unused every year.
The NHS regularly pays for patients to have common procedures carried out privately, such as hip replacements and eye surgery.
But according to a recent NHS report conducted by former surgeon Lord Darzi, less than half of patients know they have the right to choose independent healthcare providers.
The NHS regularly pays for patients to have common procedures carried out privately, such as hip replacements and eye surgery
Patients typically need to travel less than 25 minutes by car to reduce wait times by three months, according to the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN).
So what do you need to do to get private surgery paid for by the NHS? And is it worth it?
Question: I have never heard of this arrangement. Am I eligible?
A: Everyone is eligible, regardless of your age, where you live or what treatment you need. If your GP needs to refer you because of a physical or mental health condition, you have the legal right to choose which hospital or service you go to. This includes the NHS and many private hospitals that provide services to the NHS. Patients can even choose which doctors they want to be seen by.
“This scheme has been around for decades, but not many people know about it,” said IHPN boss David Hare. ‘Our data shows that more than 10,000 appointments made available by the private sector for NHS care are not being used.’
GP Dean Eggitt, based in Doncaster, said: ‘Patients and GPs need to be more proactive about the scheme.
‘We don’t often get questions about it from patients, especially not at the first contact – only if they are on a waiting list.’
The only limitations are that this service is not available for emergency care and there must be a justification for your choice.
For example, a private hospital may be closer, offer shorter waiting times or offer treatment not available on the NHS.
However, you may be denied your right to choose if you have missed previous appointments and if you propose a treatment plan that does not match your doctor’s diagnosis.
Q: I want to take advantage of this – where do I start?
A: Once your GP or consultant has decided that you need a referral, they should discuss treatment options. “The key to patient choice is the GP,” says Mr Hare.
‘They will discuss what is best for you and whether that is NHS care or going to a private provider.
‘However, we currently have no assurance that patients will be asked to consider their options.’
Experts say it is important that patients raise the possibility of a referral with their GP. “If you want to exercise your right, you have to stand up for yourself,” says Richard Wells of the Private Healthcare Information Network.
‘If you suggest a private provider who offers NHS services in your area, and your doctor agrees that this is the best option, they should make the referral and arrange for appointments to be made. However, if you request a procedure outside your area, you will likely be asked to arrange the appointment with the private hospital yourself.’
Janet Lovell paid £10,000 for her first hip replacement operation at a private hospital, but the NHS footed the bill for her second
Q: Are there any additional costs to me or the NHS?
A: There will be no additional costs to you and you will not place any additional burden on the NHS.
‘These appointments do not cost the NHS more; private providers are putting their hands up to do it at the NHS rate,” says Mr Wells.
There are no restrictions on the types of procedures that can be carried out under the scheme. The private hospitals will have NHS contracts requiring them to carry out a certain number of operations each year.
Q: I have been waiting for hip replacement surgery on the NHS. Can I ask to go private?
A: You have two chances to ask to go private. The first is during your first consultation with a GP.
“Dialogue is central to this appointment, it is your key opportunity to make the transition,” Mr Hare said.
‘Although the expectation is that your GP will discuss all options with you, this is your opportunity to raise the issue.’
If you have not initially chosen to go private and are on an NHS waiting list, you will not be able to change your treatment plan until you have waited at least 18 weeks.
There are more than three million people who meet that criterion, with the average waiting time having doubled since 2019.
But Mr Wells says: ‘It’s still worth discussing the options with your GP while you’re on the NHS waiting list, because if it seems likely that you’ll have to wait 18 weeks they may be able to help you move forward to plan.’
Q: Will the £1 billion bailout change entitlements to the plan?
A: The proposals would be in addition to patients’ rights and so will not change your ability to access private care for referrals.
Currently, patients can choose to have a procedure carried out in a private hospital rather than on the NHS.
The new plan will involve private hospitals that will cover the costs of new diagnostic centers – where patients can be tested for conditions such as cancer – operating units and intensive care facilities.
These services would be owned by the private companies but free to NHS patients. It is estimated that 2.5 million more NHS patients are seen every year.
I only had to wait a month for my hip replacement
‘I really don’t think enough people realize that they have a legal right to choose where they want to get their NHS treatment,’ says Janet
When the pain became too much, Janet Lovell paid £10,000 for her first hip replacement operation at a private hospital – but the NHS footed the bill for her second, also private, operation just a month later.
Former accountant Janet, 73, from the Isle of Wight, suffered from severe osteoarthritis which left her in pain and confined to a wheelchair. She also cares full-time for her husband Martin, 75, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
She had been waiting two years for her first hip operation. Only after doing it privately was she told the NHS bill could have covered the bill.
While she recovered, Janet was told that her other hip also needed to be replaced – and that the wait could be as long as before, two years.
That’s why she asked her doctor if it could also be done in a private hospital. Her request was approved and the procedure was performed just a month later.
Janet says: ‘I really don’t think enough people realize that they have a legal right to choose where they want to get their NHS treatment – and that they can find shorter waiting times.’
Strange science
Last year, a man died after rinsing his sinuses with tap water and contracting a brain-eating infection.
Department of Health officials in Charlotte County, Florida reported that a resident was infected with N. fowleri – an amoeba that commonly lives in soil and warm freshwater environments. It is generally harmless if accidentally taken by mouth.
But when the infection enters the body through the nose, it can migrate to the brain, where it eats brain cells and causes massive inflammation.
The unfortunate man reportedly rinsed his sinuses with unboiled tap water daily, which doctors say led to him contracting the infection.