Private vs NHS

[popcorn23]

I have been for a private consultation with a specialist, I got this through my insurance. The consultant then told me that I need to have a laprascopy and hysteroscopy for suspected endometriosis and another thing. However my insurers have taken back their word and now said that I can't use them as apparently it's an existing condition.

Should I pay privately for the surgery which is around £6000 or should I try and wait for NHS where my doctor has told me it will be at least a years wait for a consultation then another year wait for surgery. It's making me so frustrated as I thought I could finally get this sorted and now being told another two years possibly.

[Christin_a]

Hello

So no one can really answer it for you as to of you think the 6k is worth it, can afford it etc.

But which ever option you go for the gynaecologist who does the surgery must have at a minimum a specialist interest in endometriosis. The one that is private I recommend searching their NHS page to see what they list as their specialist interest. Because I have seen private pages list everything under the sun as a special interest.

It is, really annoyingly, not usually covered in private cover, as you may not have a diagnosis but because your symptoms are preexisting so they count it as a preexisting condition.

[popcorn23 in reply to Christin_a]

The private surgeon is a specialist in laprascopy and hysteroscopy so should be okay. But yh my insurance said no because when I was 11 I went to the doctors for heavy periods

[Minnie153 in reply to popcorn23]

Hi Popcorn,

I am a theatre nurse and I can tell you without any doubt that any gynaecologist will be a specialist in laparoscopy and hysteroscopy as this is their everyday bread and butter. However, it doesn’t mean they’re an endo specialist and able to treat you appropriately if they find endo. Which may mean that he finds it and you’re in the same situation as before awaiting a referral to a specialist. If you’re going to pay then I’d really do my research and find an endo specialist. The endo website might help with this, I’m not sure.

Good luck

[Avourneen]

It really depends how good the surgeon is. There are good and bad surgeons working in both the NHS and the private sector. One concern in the private sector is that surgeons obviously earn more when they do more ops, so there is an incentive for them to offer operations and treatments when they might not be needed. The NHS is the opposite theirfocus is on being cost effective so you might really need treatemnet and not be able to get it.

The importanat thing is to find a surgeon who knows what he/she is doing specifically in the area of endo. I had my first surgery on the NHS with a general gynae who didn't know much about endo. The endo was just burned off when it should have been excised and grew straight back. Then I went private to a supposed endo specialist who did excision but advised me not to have a hysterectomy. However, I think this advice was wrong as I have adenomysiosis and could not have carried embryos to full term. I think he did this to ensure I needed another operation within a short time to make more money.

Neither operation has solved the problem so now I need more surgery. In the private sector you can get treatment quickly but it's really expensive and if you don't research the surgeon it might not be any good anyway. In the NHS you have to wait but you don't have to pay. You could end up with an unsuitable surgeon who isn't specialist enough or a really good one if you do your research. but at least you know they aren't offering procedures just to make money.

The BSGE centres are meant to have a better level of expertise and they have to follow guidelines about treatment so maybe start by seeing if there is one of them near you.Private insurance never covers existing conditions so you'd probably have to pay yourself. bUt please ask people for honest feedback on your surgeon first go on Facebook endo sites to find this.