Readers on the lottery that British healthcare has become, with many forced to go private to get the necessary treatment to stay alive
Many people may be shocked by your article on the role of private hospitals in reducing the NHS waiting list, but it doesn’t tell the whole story (Private hospitals ‘cannibalising’ NHS in England by doing 10% of elective operations, 8 March). I decided in desperation to go to a private hospital for a consultation more than 12 months after an initial NHS diagnosis. I saw a doctor who offered me the latest treatment; his quote was £8,000. This, and second thoughts about going private, made me give up on the idea. Months later, I got a letter from the same private hospital offering a pre-consultation for the procedure, which was “to be paid for by the NHS”.
I discovered that the named consultant was the head of department in the specialism at the local NHS hospital. In fact, several of the doctors in that specialism are also treating patients privately in the nearby private hospital. I find it hard to get my head around this game of musical chairs. It surely brings into question the ethics of a profession that is in effect, to coin a phrase, stealing your watch and charging you to tell you the time.
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