Going private :: What next?
Discussion
Hi, my 2 year old was referred by our GP a few weeks ago to go for an assessment with a speech specialist. We've now found that there is almost a 12 month waiting list just to get assessed. For a 2 year old, that's fairly outrageous, but that's not what I am here about. I'm happy to pay to go private for the assessment. If I do that, and the private doc says that my 2 year needs treatment, can I take that referral to the NHS and then join the queue for treatment (so skipping the years wait for the initial assessment) or am I then forced down the private route from then on. Cheers.
So because you can afford to pay for an initial assessment you have the right to jump in front of the queue of others who are less fortunate and thus make them wait even longer. What makes you so special?
Surely you either commit to paying for the treatment from start to bitter, expensive, end or you take your place in the queue and not expect others to be disadvantaged on your behalf?
Sorry, feel a bit strongly about this.
Actually, the OP may well be doing the NHS a favour. I've got absolutely no idea on the statistics, but the reason for the huge wait may well be that a lot of the children referred aren't actually in need of speech therapy. The department may therefore be swamped by superfluous referrals, whilst the number of people being treated may be much smaller. By going private for the assessment the OP may well be helping to remove the bottleneck in the speech therapy service. Just a thought. 
The best person to ask about this is probably your GP; they'll have the best knowledge of how the system works. Failing that you could just ring a private doctor and ask them.
The best person to ask about this is probably your GP; they'll have the best knowledge of how the system works. Failing that you could just ring a private doctor and ask them.
Antonia said:
So because you can afford to pay for an initial assessment you have the right to jump in front of the queue of others who are less fortunate and thus make them wait even longer. What makes you so special?
Surely you either commit to paying for the treatment from start to bitter, expensive, end or you take your place in the queue and not expect others to be disadvantaged on your behalf?
Sorry, feel a bit strongly about this.
tty system, but it is the system we have. If you were ill and had to wait a year to find out what was wrong, or you could pay £100 and find out in a week, would you honestly wait? I don't think so. Yes, I'm sure the OH wants to jump the queue purely for altruistic reasons. I'm pretty sure it won't help the NHS in the long run because the person doing the treatment will want to do their own assessment to create an appropriate treatment plan.Sounds more like trying to assuage middle class guilt to me.
arcticgoldfish said:
Suddenly now, we would both do what we can for our kids
And the other kids who will have to wait longer because you've jumped the queue are less important that yours? Nice. Tell that to a poor kid with a disability and minimum wage parents who is going to be to have to fight against adversity their whole childhood.The NHS was designed to deliver care based on need not ability to pay. Either opt in or opt out. If not waiting is that important to you commit to the private system and stop abusing the NHS.
arcticgoldfish said:
If you were ill and had to wait a year to find out what was wrong, or you could pay £100 and find out in a week, would you honestly wait? I don't think so.
Where I live there is no "private" system. But in answer to your question - yes I would wait. I would also expect any children I was raising to grow up with some principles and not think having access to a little cash makes them more important than their peers.
arcticgoldfish said:
Hi, my 2 year old was referred by our GP a few weeks ago to go for an assessment with a speech specialist. We've now found that there is almost a 12 month waiting list just to get assessed. For a 2 year old, that's fairly outrageous, but that's not what I am here about. I'm happy to pay to go private for the assessment. If I do that, and the private doc says that my 2 year needs treatment, can I take that referral to the NHS and then join the queue for treatment (so skipping the years wait for the initial assessment) or am I then forced down the private route from then on. Cheers.
Go private.The age of first language acquisition (and comprehension) is such an important prognisticator for intellectual and social development henceforth, I think it's something no caring parent can afford to ignore.
Moreover, the window in which this development happens is small.
Talk to any psychologist off camera about this, I'm sure the answer will be the same.
Antonia said:
And the other kids who will have to wait longer because you've jumped the queue are less important that yours?
Absolutely the other kids are less important to me. There isn't anything in the world that would make me not want the very best for my kids. Antonia said:
The NHS was designed to deliver care based on need not ability to pay. Either opt in or opt out. If not waiting is that important to you commit to the private system and stop abusing the NHS.
How am I abusing the NHS? I pay taxes and am entitled to use it. Antonia said:
But in answer to your question - yes I would wait. I would also expect any children I was raising to grow up with some principles and not think having access to a little cash makes them more important than their peers.
I'm making an assumption from your last comments that you don't have kids? I think your opinions would be different if you did have kids, had the choice to make, and were in a position to pay private. As much as I would love the system to work perfectly and fairly for everyone, it doesn't.I injured my knee while back and it was off the back of other knee inuries. I knew how long it would take to get an MRI and see the surgeon for the report (over 21 weeks). So in the end I paid around £170 for an MRI and around £165 to see a surgeon for the results.
When I was looking around for surgeons some of them said because of the way the hospital works if I saw them private I would not be able to transfer to NHS directly - i.e I would ahve to go back to my GP and go through the normal channels.
Eventually I found a surgeon who saw me privatley, told me what was wrong and then put me on his NHS op list. I didn't get bumped up the queue as I still had to wait the same time anyone else would from the day they got referred to the NHS hospital but I was able to find out what was wrong a damn site sooner.
As it turns out the private Op would have been 2 months sooner than the NHS had I had 4.5k and that didn't include any physio!!
When I was looking around for surgeons some of them said because of the way the hospital works if I saw them private I would not be able to transfer to NHS directly - i.e I would ahve to go back to my GP and go through the normal channels.
Eventually I found a surgeon who saw me privatley, told me what was wrong and then put me on his NHS op list. I didn't get bumped up the queue as I still had to wait the same time anyone else would from the day they got referred to the NHS hospital but I was able to find out what was wrong a damn site sooner.
As it turns out the private Op would have been 2 months sooner than the NHS had I had 4.5k and that didn't include any physio!!
For medical stuff you may well be referred to the same consultant privately as you would have seen on the NHS, and after the consultation they can put you on their NHS list.
You have to do this with some private health plans anyway as they won;t pay for some things, or if the waiting list is less than a certain time, and the quacks don't expect you to pay yourself.
You have to do this with some private health plans anyway as they won;t pay for some things, or if the waiting list is less than a certain time, and the quacks don't expect you to pay yourself.
Deva Link said:
For medical stuff you may well be referred to the same consultant privately as you would have seen on the NHS, and after the consultation they can put you on their NHS list.
You have to do this with some private health plans anyway as they won;t pay for some things, or if the waiting list is less than a certain time, and the quacks don't expect you to pay yourself.
That's kind of what I was hoping for - use private for the assessment then get put on the NHS for the treatment. Just didn't know if that was possible, although it sounds like it is. Also depends how long the wait is for treatment post assessment. You have to do this with some private health plans anyway as they won;t pay for some things, or if the waiting list is less than a certain time, and the quacks don't expect you to pay yourself.
That said, Mobile Chicane is doing a good job of convincing me to go private all the way via PM...
arcticgoldfish said:
That's kind of what I was hoping for - use private for the assessment then get put on the NHS for the treatment. Just didn't know if that was possible, although it sounds like it is. Also depends how long the wait is for treatment post assessment.
That said, Mobile Chicane is doing a good job of convincing me to go private all the way via PM...
Much as I hate to say it... That said, Mobile Chicane is doing a good job of convincing me to go private all the way via PM...
At key stages of your childrens' development, I'd be disinclined to f
k around with Gubberment bks / political correctnesss.Even if that meant paying for the whole thing henceforth.
Antonia said:
Yes, I'm sure the OH wants to jump the queue purely for altruistic reasons. I'm pretty sure it won't help the NHS in the long run because the person doing the treatment will want to do their own assessment to create an appropriate treatment plan.Sounds more like trying to assuage middle class guilt to me.
Speech therapy for kids is mean't to be one of the most beneficial things for those that need it - very cost effective. That's based on research. However, its also one of the worst funded areas - amongst many !!
I sympathise - if you can do anything to help yourself please do so - we all need to look out for ourselves. The the benefits at the earliest stages are documented.
I sympathise - if you can do anything to help yourself please do so - we all need to look out for ourselves. The the benefits at the earliest stages are documented.
davepoth said:
You do know that the chances are that the private doctor will probably be the same person that would do the job on the NHS don't you?
I do know that and with a few exceptions you would be a fool not to see a Dr in the UK who did not work within the NHS as well. There isn't the scope of work within the private sector to maintain a high level of skill.davepoth said:
Pretty much every NHS consultant does a big chunk of private work.
I am afraid this just isn't true.Is the speech assessment done by a doctor, just out of interest?
I'm not really sure where I stand with regards to private healthcare. Clearly those going to Harley Street clinics and purely private consultants are taking the burden off the NHS, but seeing patients who pay simply put into NHS theatres in NHS operating lists etc bugs me a bit. One consultant told me he would be happy doing private work if he could do it after his normal list, while paying everyone extra for the overtime, but usually it doesn't work like that.
But I fully think you should pay for this speech assessment, you're right, speech isn't something you can mess about with, and for the sake of a small amount of money I would do it if I had children.
I'm not really sure where I stand with regards to private healthcare. Clearly those going to Harley Street clinics and purely private consultants are taking the burden off the NHS, but seeing patients who pay simply put into NHS theatres in NHS operating lists etc bugs me a bit. One consultant told me he would be happy doing private work if he could do it after his normal list, while paying everyone extra for the overtime, but usually it doesn't work like that.
But I fully think you should pay for this speech assessment, you're right, speech isn't something you can mess about with, and for the sake of a small amount of money I would do it if I had children.
arcticgoldfish said:
Antonia said:
And the other kids who will have to wait longer because you've jumped the queue are less important that yours?
Absolutely the other kids are less important to me. There isn't anything in the world that would make me not want the very best for my kids. arcticgoldfish said:
Antonia said:
The NHS was designed to deliver care based on need not ability to pay. Either opt in or opt out. If not waiting is that important to you commit to the private system and stop abusing the NHS.
How am I abusing the NHS? I pay taxes and am entitled to use it. If you don't agree with the system, stand by your values and don't use it. Find the cash and opt out.
arcticgoldfish said:
Antonia said:
I would also expect any children I was raising to grow up with some principles and not think having access to a little cash makes them more important than their peers.
I'm making an assumption from your last comments that you don't have kids? I think your opinions would be different if you did have kids, had the choice to make, and were in a position to pay private. As much as I would love the system to work perfectly and fairly for everyone, it doesn't.Oh and I have health insurance that covers more than you could ever dream of in any country of the world and any offspring I have would be included in the policy. So I can "go private" anytime I like and have used the private system in the UK. Having seen it from the inside I can say at times I found it dangerous and financially corrupt, not the health care mecca you are lead to believe it is.
Just so my point doesn't get lost, I think if you are going to go private you should buy in completely and not use it to queue jump in the NHS and thus cause others to have to wait longer so you don't have to. I find this a sad and morally selfish attitude.Either you can afford the "benefits" of the private system or you can't. I think it is wrong to make others pay with their health just because you can't afford to foot the entire private bill.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff