Paying for private hospital care...
Discussion
I am - once again! - looking to pick the hive mind of PH.
My elderly (80's) mother has "had a fall" resulting in a broken pelvis. She's been told that no operation is necessary, but that she'll be in hospital for 14 days with treatment amounting to rest + pain relief + some physio.
We would happily pay for her to be moved to a private hospital where she can have a room so not on a ward etc. Cost isn't the issue. We would readily free up an NHS bed by paying for her to be looked after somewhere else.
But... the local private hospitals that I have called (Spire etc) say simply that they don't do this. Once someone has been admitted to an NHS hospital they have to be cared for there.
Is this really the case? If so, why? Most services are available at a price, what is different about this situation? One of the hospitals I spoke with said that they receive several similar enquiries every week, but always have to say no. Is this an example of unmet / unpriced demand?
If my mother held medical insurance would this change the situation? If so why? Can a person not be self-insured for some reason? I have private medical insurance for my family (wife and children). If I fell and broke my pelvis would I have different options to my my mother? [I will put this question to my insurer!]
I'd be really interested to hear from other PH'ers who have had similar experiences, or from those familiar with how private healthcare works.
My elderly (80's) mother has "had a fall" resulting in a broken pelvis. She's been told that no operation is necessary, but that she'll be in hospital for 14 days with treatment amounting to rest + pain relief + some physio.
We would happily pay for her to be moved to a private hospital where she can have a room so not on a ward etc. Cost isn't the issue. We would readily free up an NHS bed by paying for her to be looked after somewhere else.
But... the local private hospitals that I have called (Spire etc) say simply that they don't do this. Once someone has been admitted to an NHS hospital they have to be cared for there.
Is this really the case? If so, why? Most services are available at a price, what is different about this situation? One of the hospitals I spoke with said that they receive several similar enquiries every week, but always have to say no. Is this an example of unmet / unpriced demand?
If my mother held medical insurance would this change the situation? If so why? Can a person not be self-insured for some reason? I have private medical insurance for my family (wife and children). If I fell and broke my pelvis would I have different options to my my mother? [I will put this question to my insurer!]
I'd be really interested to hear from other PH'ers who have had similar experiences, or from those familiar with how private healthcare works.
Sorry I can't answer your question but does your NHS Trust not offer "Amenity beds"?
Link said:
Patients receiving NHS treatment are able to book and pay for an amenity room on the ward depending on availability and the clinical needs of the ward. The cost of an amenity room is £63 a night and this can be booked through the Private Patients Manager.
https://www.dgt.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/private-patients/private-patients-frequently-asked-questions-faqWindyCommon said:
I am - once again! - looking to pick the hive mind of PH.
My elderly (80's) mother has "had a fall" resulting in a broken pelvis. She's been told that no operation is necessary, but that she'll be in hospital for 14 days with treatment amounting to rest + pain relief + some physio.
We would happily pay for her to be moved to a private hospital where she can have a room so not on a ward etc. Cost isn't the issue. We would readily free up an NHS bed by paying for her to be looked after somewhere else.
But... the local private hospitals that I have called (Spire etc) say simply that they don't do this. Once someone has been admitted to an NHS hospital they have to be cared for there.
Is this really the case? If so, why? Most services are available at a price, what is different about this situation? One of the hospitals I spoke with said that they receive several similar enquiries every week, but always have to say no. Is this an example of unmet / unpriced demand?
If my mother held medical insurance would this change the situation? If so why? Can a person not be self-insured for some reason? I have private medical insurance for my family (wife and children). If I fell and broke my pelvis would I have different options to my my mother? [I will put this question to my insurer!]
I'd be really interested to hear from other PH'ers who have had similar experiences, or from those familiar with how private healthcare works.
I'm no expert so take this as worth what you paid for it, but I suspect that the private hospital do not want the risk of the elderly patient becoming a "bedblocker" while the council and social care providers get their act togther for any in-home support needs. Whilst you're paying for the bed / private room, you're preventing them from doing revenue earning sugery from the patients who could be in that room. My elderly (80's) mother has "had a fall" resulting in a broken pelvis. She's been told that no operation is necessary, but that she'll be in hospital for 14 days with treatment amounting to rest + pain relief + some physio.
We would happily pay for her to be moved to a private hospital where she can have a room so not on a ward etc. Cost isn't the issue. We would readily free up an NHS bed by paying for her to be looked after somewhere else.
But... the local private hospitals that I have called (Spire etc) say simply that they don't do this. Once someone has been admitted to an NHS hospital they have to be cared for there.
Is this really the case? If so, why? Most services are available at a price, what is different about this situation? One of the hospitals I spoke with said that they receive several similar enquiries every week, but always have to say no. Is this an example of unmet / unpriced demand?
If my mother held medical insurance would this change the situation? If so why? Can a person not be self-insured for some reason? I have private medical insurance for my family (wife and children). If I fell and broke my pelvis would I have different options to my my mother? [I will put this question to my insurer!]
I'd be really interested to hear from other PH'ers who have had similar experiences, or from those familiar with how private healthcare works.
As the other poster said in your shoes I would speak to the NHS hospital about getting an amniety room organised and I would focus my energy on getting the in-home stuff sorted. Hope your mum recovers quickly.
I think private hospital care in the UK is for specifc operations/treatments that are not designed to include long term rehabilitation in one of their beds etc.
Even if you have medical insurance and for example break your pelvis/leg you can't just rock up at a private hospital and get it treated. NHS A&E is the default. Post treatment can be covered by insurance ie needing a corrective operation etc.. That said I believe there are some private hospitals that treat walk-ins for a price but I'd question their level of expert treatment as they won't necessarily have immediately available the facilities the NHS has.
Amenity room is worth exploring.
Even if you have medical insurance and for example break your pelvis/leg you can't just rock up at a private hospital and get it treated. NHS A&E is the default. Post treatment can be covered by insurance ie needing a corrective operation etc.. That said I believe there are some private hospitals that treat walk-ins for a price but I'd question their level of expert treatment as they won't necessarily have immediately available the facilities the NHS has.
Amenity room is worth exploring.
K77 CTR said:
Sounds like she has a pubic rami fracture. Which will require rehabilitation. As others have said she will possibly need a package of care on discharge and probably something that private hospitals don't want to get involved with.
Mother in law had this and because the FiL is useless checked herself into a nursing home for TLC not a private hospital and was very well looked after for about 3 weeks I thinkwong said:
I don't think they have live in junior Drs. that can be there within minutes if something serious occurs.
They do.RMO
Resident Medical Officer.
Most private hospitals simply don't do what the OP is asking for. There's no profit in it.
The private sector is not a duplicate of the NHS.
As for amenity beds, one could ask, but A&E waits in most hospitals are 12-15 hrs right now. So the prospect of 'changing up' beds or rooms seems optimistic.
My patients wait overnight on a trolley in A&E to get any sort of bed.
You could look into a respite bed in a care home, but they are jammed too.
Sorry to be negative, but the coal face is bleak at the moment.
Thank you all for taking the time to respond here, I really appreciate it. I (evidently) lack any real understanding of how this part of our healthcare system works, even to the point of lacking the vocabulary to engage with those working in it. A salutary lesson!
My mother is going to need a period of “rehabilitative care” following her injury, and - if this can’t be achieved at home - we are looking for a nursing home not a hospital as such. A brief google this morning suggests that this is eminently possible, so it looks like the best way forward.
Thank you PH!
My mother is going to need a period of “rehabilitative care” following her injury, and - if this can’t be achieved at home - we are looking for a nursing home not a hospital as such. A brief google this morning suggests that this is eminently possible, so it looks like the best way forward.
Thank you PH!
Arnold Cunningham said:
Where are you based? I know of a few options that might be exactly what you are looking for in Surrey and Berkshire.
Thank you. Could I ask you to post a couple of links to these? I think they will help me understand what I’m looking for.Edited by Arnold Cunningham on Saturday 25th June 08:28
Of course.
The background
My stepfather had a hip replacement back in february. He's 82 and has been "sedate" all his life - we thought it was unreasonable to espect my 89 year old mother to care for him - so we booked him in to Lynden Hill for 2 weeks post op.
The Outcome
When he came back home and he started local physio - the physio noted to me that he was doing way better than most people his age on the recovery curve and she attributed most of this gain to the care he had received at Lynden Hill (where he had had twice daily physio & water sessions).
The Problem
Places like this are few & far between. Hospitals only want to provide acute care. Most care homes are looking longer term - months or permanently moving in. Some "could" do one month - but charge quite a premium since they're not geared up for this. We wanted something closer to a hotel with medical care type of arrangement - a few weeks, almost a holiday, rather than "moving in".
The Answer
The two places I found Lynden Hill (which we used) and the clavadel.
https://www.lyndenhill.com/
https://www.theclavadel.co.uk/
Both offer short-medium term recuperative care/respite/rehabilitation, which sounds like what you might want.
Local to me - I couldn't find any other places other than these 2 - there's not many around
Have a look at https://www.carehome.co.uk/, however it doesn't segregate the type of care the home offers so you have to research each place individually. Nevertheless, if the above 2 aren't convenient to you - have a trawl through carehome.co.uk and be prepared to spend a morning on the phone, as I did, to find a place that focuses on specific recovery and respite, not just a generic nursing home.
Was it worth it
Anyway, Lyndenhill wasn't cheap - BUT it did represent good value - both to my stepfather to get him well on the recovery curve and to my mother to mean she didn't have to deal with the burden of looking after him. He is now fit and well, walking without a stick and no limp - they are back to their usual bickering, which means everything is OK.
The background
My stepfather had a hip replacement back in february. He's 82 and has been "sedate" all his life - we thought it was unreasonable to espect my 89 year old mother to care for him - so we booked him in to Lynden Hill for 2 weeks post op.
The Outcome
When he came back home and he started local physio - the physio noted to me that he was doing way better than most people his age on the recovery curve and she attributed most of this gain to the care he had received at Lynden Hill (where he had had twice daily physio & water sessions).
The Problem
Places like this are few & far between. Hospitals only want to provide acute care. Most care homes are looking longer term - months or permanently moving in. Some "could" do one month - but charge quite a premium since they're not geared up for this. We wanted something closer to a hotel with medical care type of arrangement - a few weeks, almost a holiday, rather than "moving in".
The Answer
The two places I found Lynden Hill (which we used) and the clavadel.
https://www.lyndenhill.com/
https://www.theclavadel.co.uk/
Both offer short-medium term recuperative care/respite/rehabilitation, which sounds like what you might want.
Local to me - I couldn't find any other places other than these 2 - there's not many around
Have a look at https://www.carehome.co.uk/, however it doesn't segregate the type of care the home offers so you have to research each place individually. Nevertheless, if the above 2 aren't convenient to you - have a trawl through carehome.co.uk and be prepared to spend a morning on the phone, as I did, to find a place that focuses on specific recovery and respite, not just a generic nursing home.
Was it worth it
Anyway, Lyndenhill wasn't cheap - BUT it did represent good value - both to my stepfather to get him well on the recovery curve and to my mother to mean she didn't have to deal with the burden of looking after him. He is now fit and well, walking without a stick and no limp - they are back to their usual bickering, which means everything is OK.
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