Desperate patients resort to paying privately for hip and eye surgery as NHS waiting times spiral

Desperate patients are paying privately for hip and eye surgery as waiting times on the NHS spiral.

Since 2013, triple as many patients – some 445,000 – have had to wait more than six months for operations on their hips or cataracts.

As a result of lengthy waiting times, companies have seen a 53 per cent rise in take-up of private operations, reports theTelegraph.

Private providers can charge between £9,000 and £14,000 for a hip replacement, and as much as £5,000 for cataract operations.

Desperate patients are paying privately for hip and eye surgery as waiting times on the NHS spiral, with 445,000 patients waiting more than six months since 2013 (file photo)

Despite the huge costs, figures show that spending by Brits on surgery they might have expected for free on the NHS has increased from £454million to £701million between 2012 and 2016  – a rise of 53 per cent.

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, told the Telegraph: ‘We recognise NHS budgets are under huge pressure, but older people who need operations must be able to get them within a timescale based on their clinical need, not their bank balance.’

Patients are also turning to private surgery because of rationing by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) that mean people are forced to wait until they are in severe pain before being offered surgery. 

Two-thirds of CCGs are limiting cataract surgery to only the worst cases, and hernia patients are also expected to prove they cannot work because of the pain before they are considered for surgery.

Patients are also turning to private surgery because of rationing by clinical commissioning groups that mean people are forced to wait until they are in severe pain before being offered surgery (file photo)

Patients are also turning to private surgery because of rationing by clinical commissioning groups that mean people are forced to wait until they are in severe pain before being offered surgery (file photo)

Proposals from a CCG in Sussex would also mean that patients should have ‘uncontrolled, intense and persistent’ pain for six months before hip surgery.  

John Kell, head of policy at The Patients Association, added: ‘It’s only natural that people who are in pain and discomfort, but can afford to pay, will opt to jump the queue. But those who can’t afford to do this are left to suffer.’ 

A government spokesman told the Telegraph: ‘The NHS is carrying out 2.2 million more operations compared to 2009/10.

‘Decisions about when or whether treatment is carried out are rightly made by doctors based on what is best for their patient – if such treatment is deemed necessary we expect patients to have access to it in a timely way.’ 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk