Why....re Private Health Care?

[dunnitall]

Can anyone enlighten me please as to why if one wishes to seek a private health consultation with payment by the patient, we are told we need referral from our GP? If one has the money ( or scrapes it together... ) and actually has no faith in their GP, can they not just pay like one would for any service? It is so annoying when the GP isn't always helpful to the patient and one wishes to by- pass them if they can!

[rsvp]

I don't know but I suspect it's because your GP has a complete record of your medical history which would prove invaluable to any medical person seeing you for the first time.

[Buenchico]

This might help:
http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/892.aspx?CategoryID=68&SubCategoryID=158

[hc4361]

You need to change your GP.

[Sqad]

This doesn't happen with all Consultants, as some including myself would instruct the Appointment 's Staff to accept patient's without a GP's letter.
The GP likes to feel that he is in control and decides to whom his patient is referred. It 's an anachronism from Dr Finlay's casebook in my opinion.

[dunnitall]

Thanks Chris I clearly didn't research it enough. It does annoy me because your GP then actually decides yay or nay....so dependent upon that, depends whether one gets to see a specialist privately unless you ask for a second opinion from your own GP.

I would think that in this computer age the private specialist would be able to access ones medical details with no problems. Tees me off that there seems no clear cut division on this because that website says you don't have to have your GP's referral but one is told by the private specialist they will need it to see you. How crazy is that!

[woofgang]

it would be a stupid GP indeed who refused to make the referral....

[dunnitall]

Sorry I didn't see your posts hc and sqad... @ hc...yes but it's not always feasible because of certain conditions and maybe it's better the devil.....?

@sqad..thanks for that, if only the specialists were like u because I've never found any as yet who doesn't want a referral from the GP....ARGH!

[jno]

mine doesn't refuse but he waits a week or two, which defeats the purpose of needing an urgent referral, and charges £20. Fortunately his colleagues are less avaricious.

[woofgang]

Jno, not only is that stupid but not right according to NHS T and C
"If your GP thinks you need to see a specialist and you want to pay for it privately, they can write a letter of referral to a private consultant or specialist explaining your condition and your medical history. You won't be charged for this."

[rsvp]

Isn't that in the wording though Woofgang ......> it doesn't specify they must.

[jno]

I didn't know that, Woofgang. I'll make a note next time.

[woofgang]

no but Jno says that they have been charged by the GP which is very naughty

[Islay]

I am going private at the mo for an op, my GP has had no input at all.

However, due to the life long implications following my op, my private consultant has asked me to involve my GP.

[KARL]

Sadly, the obstacles you describe are symptomatic of two aspects of British society which are all to prevalent: Elitism and lack of transparency. Add to that a sort of "holy cow" status of the NHS and you are rather stuck.