How to beat NHS waiting lists

How to beat NHS waiting lists

NHS waiting lists are growing by the day.  And anyone who’s experienced pain in their body knows that this waiting time is not only conducive to recovery, it can also impact every aspect of your life.  I’ve had numerous patients who’ve gone down the NHS route only to find that 2 years has passed and they’re only just having surgery.  Do you really want to wait that long?

So how can you get seen quicker and get yourself back to feeling much better?

Let’s take a scenario…you lift a heavy object and you hear a “pop” in your shoulder followed by a sharp pain. What are your options?  You have two.  Go through the NHS or go Private.

Here’s a comparison:

NHS                                                                                                              PRIVATE

You see your GP You see a physio, osteopath or chiropractor
You’re referred to triage physio, a 4-6 week wait You’re referred for an MRI and you’re seen within 2-3 days, costing you £300/£400
You’re referred for an MRI, a 4 week wait Your MRI report comes back with 24 hours
The MRI report takes 2-4 weeks to come back You’re referred to a consultant within 1 week costing £250
The referral to the consultant takes 1-3 months Private surgery happens within 2 weeks £6-8K
Surgery wait is 4-6 months + Ask to go on the NHS list jumping the queue by 6 months

By paying £600-700 you will jump the NHS backlog and see the consultant within 2 weeks whereby they can put you on the NHS waiting list for surgery.