I must admit Lilac I am terrified my mum will get to the stage that she needs drugs that the nhs wont fund. It would totally break my heart. The thing that makes me so damn angry is this postcode fiasco. Not just with bc drugs, but also things like IVF. Why the hell do some people get them and some dont just because of where they live. It makes me so angry!
Wow - a minefield…Two days before I was dx with idc, I saw a new gastro privately at the Nuffield in Plymouth as my Crohn’s had flared badly and I was not happy with my then current gastro. An NHS referral to this new gastro was 6 months!! I told new gastro I had an appt at the NHS Derriford Hospital 2 days later, for recall after a 3 yrly normal NHS mammo. He said he was immediately transferring me to the NHS for my Crohn’s and said to come to his office for blood test forms that I could do when attending the breast care centre. He said he is appalled at the delays in the NHS but the way the public and private sectors work, the only way I have found to circumvent lengthy consultant delays, is to get a private consult around £150, and then I am always transferred immediately to the NHS for treatment.
My husband has been undergoing tests for some 5 yrs now for difficulty in walking more than 50 yds…saw a Cardiologist, had an angiogram,(blocked artery but not causing the walking problem) then a Vascular Surgeon, who referred him to a Neuro-surgeon - wait on the NHS was some 6 months for a spinal MRI , so we went privately. As luck would have it, the day after first consult with neurosurgeon, hubby got an NHS appt for an MRI. No problem, and the results were sent to our private neuro-surgeon. However, this was only on the lower third of his spine and neurosurgeon said he need another MRI on the upper part - got an appt within 3 days, on a Saturday afternoon for the MRI - cost £1,500. Neuro surgeon said the problem was not as he suspected, spinal canal stenosis and referred us back to the NHS to see a Neurologist. Still with me?
It has been 18 months since we first saw this last guy and are little further forward, except for a partial diagnosis of sensory/motor axonal neuropathy disease.
We are now going to ask our GP for a private referral to a world renowned Professor of Neurology who also leads the neurology research team at the new Peninsular Medical School in Plymouth as my husband is 79 yrs and our lifestyle has been much affected by his disability. We have had no problem in switching between private and NHS hospitals/doctors and I am sure once we have a definitive diagnosis (which we now suspect is Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy - CIDP) my husband will get the treatment (drugs like steroids, immuno-suppressants/chemo) that he desperately needs.
I believe the system is different with cancer and perhaps other drugs…if the newer drugs, for whatever disease, are not NICE approved, then the NHS will not pay for ANY treatment or approved drugs. I wonder who makes these rules? Seems they have no common sense, and of course if it were them or a close relative, assume their attitude would be very different.
I still don’t understand why patients in Scotland get the new drugs foc, and we can’t in England. Perhaps the Scottish Mafia MP’s have something to do with it?
I’d better stop before the moderators get me…
love to all,
Liz.
Hee hee hee - Scottish mafia MPs. The whole world of NHS/drugs etc is a minefield I reckon. They have reduced the costs of filling prescriptions here is Scotland with a promise to make prescriptions free within 5 years. I kinda disagree with that actually. I am happy to pay for prescriptions and I think that if you can pay you should pay and if you can’t, or if the costs of prescriptions alone is going to cripple you then you should get them for free, goodness knows how you would work a system like that out though!
A
On post code lottery, my brother lives in North Wales and has a friend who has had to move away from his wife and children into Cheshire to get the treatment he needs- its totally wrong.
Can I ask those who have private treatment- - do you see the same docs/consultants that NHS patients see- are they making a fast buck ???
Take Care
Mary
xx
Hi Mary
I am under the same consultant for my NHS and private treatment.
The only difference is that I was transferred from NHS Frenchay in Bristol to private Spire hospital in Bristol where all my tests and operation was carried out.
I have a friend who is a consultant Heart Surgeon and the NHS only pay him for so many hours per week. The rest of this time is made up from his private practice.
Sarah-Jane
I know my consultant works NHS and also takes on private patients at a private hospital.
With regards to prescriptions I am undecided where I stand on the free prescriptions for Scotland issue - in one week alone I was prescribed 3 different things all of which I had to pay for (so in Scotland that is £15) and each item was used for a maximum of 2 days before being changed for something else and in the end noone of it was necessary as the ‘infection’ that the locum GP kept insisting I had was in fact scar tissue … basically wasted £15 on drugs that just got handed back into the chemist. After this I decided to pay for the pre-paid certificate.
I am a sort of in between person in respect of income - I am earning too much to qualify for any top-up benefits but not enuff to have any spare cash once I have covered my bills. Cancer is not cheap and there are also a lot of hidden expenses - I know it is going to take me a good while to actually get back on track.
Hi Mary
Interesting question
I have private treatment through work insurance, there is no way I would recommend self payment to anyone- unless they were very very rich. The charges are astronomical. perhaps you could possibly speed up diagnosis (and then I am sure the NHS would pick you up they would Have to - would they let you die?? Possibly but i really dont think so.) You cannot co pay on the NHS and if you leave the NHS to purchase unlicensed drug they may not let you back which is a scandal.
Is my consultant making a fast buck? no I dont think so - he qualified and worked for many years and then set up a private practice, it has enormous costs associated with it, and the majority of the bills are going to the drug companies. I dont doubt he makes a good living, but so do MPs lawyers and judges so I dont really begrudge him that. At least he is trying to help unlike the vast majority of politicians, drunken footballers etc
Catherine
I have all my cancer treatment in the private sector as my husband has insurance through work, however when I became seriously ill through infection my private consultant referred me to the NHS for treatment because the there was better out of hours medical cover, then I continued to have the rest of my treatment privately.
My onc does work for the NHS as well as private, the main difference is that I always see the consultant and never the SPR or SHO and all my appoinments run to time, also the privacy factor is important to me I always have my treatment in a private room, and on the couple of time I have been in the private hospital I have my own room, something that is not guaranteed on the NHS.
Linda