Patients have to go private for ops in Sussex (From The Argus)
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Patients have to go private for ops in Sussex
1:10pm Friday 28th September 2012 in News By Peter Truman
An increasing number of patients are opting to go private because health bosses are refusing to pay for operations.
GPs are facing increasingly difficult situations when referring patients, with procedures such as cataract surgery, IVF, physiotherapy, tonsillectomy and knee and hip replacements being heavily restricted or not available at all through primary care trusts (PCTs).
A survey of doctors in Sussex revealed 86% were having to tell patients every month they could not be sent for further treatment on the NHS because of changes to the guidelines.
The rate is much higher than the national average of 70%, according to the research by ComRes commissioned by private healthcare provider BMI Healthcare.
Out of those responding, 39% of GPs in Sussex said they had already seen an increase in patients asking about paying for care outside of the NHS, and 26% said they are increasingly instigating discussions about private healthcare options with their patients.
A spokeswoman for NHS Sussex said: “The NHS in Sussex has a budget of £2.6 billion each year. We know that this budget will stay roughly the same over the next few years while the cost of drugs and new technology continues to increase and the demand for services rises due to an ageing population and more people living with long term conditions.
“We therefore have to work hard to improve local health services and to make them sustainable in the long term.”
Una Palmer, an executive director at BMI Goring Hall Hospital in Worthing, said: “As this survey shows patients are being forced to consider how they will be treated and how they will pay for their healthcare.
“Coupled with the reforms and the ever increasing restrictions it is essential patients understand what options they have to access healthcare outside of the NHS.”
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Comments(5)
HJarrs
says...
1:49pm Fri 28 Sep 12
The NHS is being gradually privitised and profits will be sucked out, procedures become more expensive and core free services will contract. It reminds me of what happened to the railways. Oh, and non of this was in the Tory manifesto.
Of course, none of this is inevitable, just vote them out! Nasty party out now!
Goldenwight
says...
2:03pm Fri 28 Sep 12
An increasing number of patients are OPTING to go private
Perhaps the Editor would like to invest in a dictionary for his staff, because there is a substantial difference here- not just minor semantics, but actual meaning? I mean, I don't HAVE to buy your paper, I OPT to. Or perhaps not, in the future. But I do have a choice.
The real story appears to be about miserly NHS restrictions, so make the headline about that.
angrymonkey
says...
4:54pm Fri 28 Sep 12
No one cares in the NHS now or want to do any scans or tests to find it all they want to do it get you to live on pain killers and pay for loads of pills that dont sort it i really think we getting a 3rd world service if things keep going down hill.
The only way we found out my dad had a brain tumour was to go pay for a scan after being rushed into A and E three times with fits they did his blood pressure then kicked him out the door again and not want to do a scan.
I should say this is all at Worthing maybe its better at other places.
redwing
says...
8:30am Sat 29 Sep 12
Goldenwight wrote:How about Pay Up or Put Up with Pain.
Patients HAVE to go private for ops in Sussex
An increasing number of patients are OPTING to go private
Perhaps the Editor would like to invest in a dictionary for his staff, because there is a substantial difference here- not just minor semantics, but actual meaning? I mean, I don't HAVE to buy your paper, I OPT to. Or perhaps not, in the future. But I do have a choice.
The real story appears to be about miserly NHS restrictions, so make the headline about that.
That's choice for you.
Tom V says...
1:38pm Fri 28 Sep 12
IVF is a difficult one as people with fertility problems can be desperate to have children but it's costly and doesn't always work. I'd rather the money is spent on hearing tests, aids and batteries for the deaf - which NHS hospitals have placed under threat because of budgetary concerns. It will isolate a whole community who can't afford private hearing aids and batteries.