Mixing Private and NHS ?

[Hana98]

The NHS endometriosis clinic appointment is on 27th May.The same Gyny doctor also works at Spire. After lots of pain I decided to book an appointment at Spire for consultation and that is in April. If I do an initial consultation and a vaginal scan at Spire, will I be able to carry the rest of treatment at NHS? Can you mix private and NHS ? Will it get all confused?

Still having rectal bleeding during period and based on what I read I feel I have some kind of rectovaginal/ bowel endo.

[greatgran28]

Hello just found your post by accident, I am on here with another problem. I have been referred on the 2 week referral for rectal bleeding, last week I felt so poorly, and my first NHS consultant appointment over a week away, I managed to get a private appointment with the same consultant I would see on the NHS. He has arranged one test on the NHS but due to the long wait for a colonoscopy I decided to go privately for that, my nerves wont stand a six week wait. I understand if it is a serious diagnosis I will go back to the NHS. So yes you can mix. Hope this helps. Best wishes to you.

[AllthatGlitters]

Hello yes you can which is good news 🥰I paid for a private consultation with a BSGE consultant due to NHS waiting times (although he was the same consultant I would have seen on the NHS, the waiting times 12 months but I got a private appointment with a week)!!!

I then went into the NHS list for surgery as I said I couldn’t afford private for my ablation as it was thousands of pounds x

[Moon_maiden]

I’ve mixed it several times. When I first saw gynae, it was private without referral, so I could start with a clean slate. He said I could have lap private or NHS. In the end I sold bits and went private, I knew he would be doing it. Doing it this way I could choose a consultant as well. Since then I’ve also mixed it with pain consultant and endo specialist.

Did this a couple of weeks ago as I wanted to talk to him sooner than NHS op follow up. Although that was a waste of money.

[OllieF]

Hi, I’m also considering this and I hope it’s ok to add a question for anyone who has done this- do you know if you pay to see a consultant privately who works at a BSGE and then have the operation on the NHS would that be under the full BSGE team if your case needs it? I have seen warnings on here about seeing a BSGE doctor privately because it is only the centre that is accredited, not an individual, but wasn’t sure how it would work in this case.

[Hana98 in reply to OllieF]

That is a good question. I thought I would at least t talk to the same BSGE consultant about my symptoms and history, maybe do my vaginal scan private to get some picture of what is going on and then see where it leads.

[OllieF]

That makes sense, I have thought just being able to talk to someone properly and get a sense of what is going on is probably quite valuable.

[MissPickles]

If you do mix, make sure you request copies of all scans and reports *just in case* they go missing. Then no matter who you see in the future you can physically hand them the info if it isnt on the system. You may need to make a Subject Access Request (SAR) and sometimes i have been charged a fee, eg for MRI scans on a CD but its worth having it

[Hana98 in reply to MissPickles]

Thanks.That is great advice.

[Lindle]

This is the NHS guidance. The main caveat is that they must be identifiable as different undertaken on different premises.

assets.publishing.service.g...

[Hana98 in reply to Lindle]

Thanks this so useful to have.

[Harriet_health]

Yes some private clinics let you be referred for treatment on the nhs, but you will be on a wait list. I was in this situation and I decided to pay for the treatment privately as I didn’t want to wait (I was told it would be a year).

I hope you get your treatment!

[Lampeter1995]

I haven’t done this with endo but had surgery on my back ten years ago. I paid for the initial consultation with the consultant at the spire and then transferred back to NHS to join his surgery waiting list.