Re: NHS v Private

When I looked at Private Health Insurance some years ago it was around £240 pa which excluded some of the more expensive options. I don't have any pre-existing conditions and don't have a record of poor health. Hence my decision to go with the part-Health - which also gives 24 hr telephone access to a GP . As I said in a previous post, if you need to see a consultant and want to opt to go privately, you can get a list of suitable consultants and a reasonably quick appointment for a discounted sum. I haven't had to use that service so am not sure of my facts.

Re: NHS v Private

OK, thanks for sharing.

Re: NHS v Private

I used to have private health insurance, the advantage was that you got admitted to hospital for surgery straight away with the doctor of your choice. The disadvantages was that it didn't cover everything 100% so there were some additional costs, anesthetists were notorious for sending bills above the insurance cost, personally I just ignored their bill and they seemed to drop it.

All doctors are private here and you can pick and choose - the only difference is whether they bulk bill or not, if they bulk bill then you pay nothing, if they don't you pay the difference between the medicare refund and the doctor's fee. For a pensioner they all bulk bill as far as I know, I no longer bother with Health Insurance, all my kids have it however.

My second wife hated being in a private maternity room for the birth of our kids because she liked company so insisted on being put in the public ward after the birth.

I think we have the best of both worlds - public hospitals and private hospitals, a mix of public treatment and private treatment in public hospitals, everybody pays for the former through the Medicare levy taken out of income. As a public patient my first back operation took place in a private hospital.

If the proof is in the pudding then our life expectancy shows how well it works as a system.

Re: NHS v Private

A friend of mine with full private health insurance was taken into hospital.........an NHS ward. She wasn't given the option to use the private ward because she was "too ill".

Re: NHS v Private

If you want the best medical treatment go for the NHS
If you want the frills go for private
When the chipps are down the NHS has the best medical facilities and trained staff .

Re: NHS v Private

I believe most consultants do both private and NHS and beware the private hospitals which have no resident doctors!

Re: NHS v Private

A lot of doctors at private hospitals work out of a suitcase. They rent rooms and facilities under the banner of a brand.

Re: NHS v Private

They always look like the same people to me, Muddy.

In fact, after i went back to NHS I had to have a second eye done (cataract) and the Specialist who did the first one, privately, years before, came over in the Hospital, asked how I was and then introduced me to his Junior, who did the job!

Re: NHS v Private

Yes, exactly what Marge told me the other day.
A lady at her choir, a retired GP, told her the same thing and also advised putting away some money every month to pay for private health care rather than paying into a private insurance company.
One other thing is that you can't always expect the GP to recommend a private specialist; you have to look for your own.

Re: NHS v Private

Exactly the same when I had my cataract removal and, later, vitrectomy.
I think you'd be very lucky to get the top consultant to do your operation in person. They usually like to supervise their registrars. The consultant in charge of my case did, anyway, though he was present in the operating theatre during the operation.