Moral Principles

[Mumble]

Ok, not an ASD thing although this may be impacting on me seeing this more 'black and white' and finding it harder to give up on my principles. I'd be really interested to know what others think of this and how they would deal with it.

 

I am a really strong supporter of the NHS and the principles that this is free at the point of use and that no-one is judged on ability to pay. I do not believe that in something that can be, quite literally, a matter of life and death, the wealth of the individual should matter one iota. It makes me very angry that people can pay to go privately and potentially jump the queue; people should be seen in order of need. I'm not angry with those who do pay, I'm angry that a system exists that allows people to even choose to pay.

 

Now, my quandary is this. I need to go to hospital for something that has a waiting list of three months on the NHS; it's not life threatening but it is really debilitating, effects my quality of life and is getting me down having to deal with it on top of other medical issues. My GP, being aware of the impact it's having on me has put me through as an NHS private referral to a private hospital (not sure how it works, but I'm assuming it costs the NHS a fair bit) and I'm going to be seen in less than 3 weeks. I've looked up this specialist hospital and it's like a bloomin' hotel!! Talk about 'how the other half live'.

 

Now I know this probably sounds really stupid and you'll be thinking 'bloomin' 'eck Mumble just go and forget about your principles' and I know that I'd be putting up with things unnecessarily if I were to say 'no thanks, I'll wait for the fully NHS route' but I am really struggling with my morals/principles and it almost feels like I'm letting myself down, if that makes any sense?

 

What would you do?

 

[justine1]

Hi

I feel exactly the same as you do with regards to the system but they have to "balance the books" somehow.

I am about to go to the GP for a problem I have,its a problem I have had for about 4 years but has got worse over the past year it is something that will need operating on and the whole reason why I have been putting off even going to the GP because of the waiting list.

 

SOOOOOOOOOO......Yes I would jump at the chance to get it done quicker.I would possibly feel bad about it but I think the results from the surgery may put my mind at ease

[Kathryn]

Look at it another way: if you have the private treatment, your health will presumably improve and you will possibly need other NHS services less as a result.

 

Swings and roundabouts... (I'll leave you to look that one up if you don't know it already ).

 

K x

Edited May 10, 2010 by Kathryn

[baddad]

Principles! Right b*ggers, them are!

I agree with you, but I agree with the others too that you should 'go for it'. Another way of looking at it is like this: Even though it's a minor surgery whatever, if you went into the NHS hospital you would be taking up a bed and an operating theatre. That NHS theatre will now be available for someone else, whereas the theatre at the private hosp might have been standing empty.

Private practice and surgeons nearly scuppered the NHS before it even got started (check your social history books, you'll find I'm right ) - If Nye Bevan had to compromise his principles to get the whole shabang up and running I don't think you can beat yourself up too much... Oh, and then of course there was Bab's Castle and the surgeons and private beds again in 1967 or whenever it was... all grease to oil the big machine.

 

Go for it!

 

L&P

 

BD

[dana]

I agree with the previous posts. Go for it, indeed! You will not pay from your own private, rich account. It will be NHS which decides if it has enough money to pay for a private treatment when neccessary. And in your case your NHS GP decided it is.

This is all part of the NHS policy so go for it. You need it.

Good luck.

 

Danaxxx

[Lynden]

I would go for it! I think the NHS is fabulous, but also I believe that it just can't cope with the demands on it so private health can help that. We've been seeing a private consultant for my daughter who is 8 and was having migraines 4-5 days a week. We could have waited months to see someone on the NHS, or, at the suggestion of our GP used our health insurance and seen someone privately the following week - there's no question in my mind what the right thing to do was.

 

Lynne

Edited May 11, 2010 by Lynden

[pearl]

Everyone seems to be in agreement - *falls down in shock at this rare forum event*

And so am I.

 

I'm a firm believer in the NHS - but for one regular screening test I go private. Reason being, its something I find soooo painful and sooooo scary that the NHS simply can't give me the resources I need in this situation. I need someone who will take their time with me, & under the current system they just can't do that.

 

I can afford to pay - I worked out it was the equivalent of 50p a week or something - but if I couldn't afford to then sadly I would be excluded, as in this particular situation a 'one size fits all' approach simply doesn't work for me. (And I'm not soft, either, I'm generally rather stoical.)

 

Anyway - what everyone else said - go for it, especially as you aren't paying!

 

 

[call me jaded]

You haven't departed from the NHS system the way I read it.

 

Sometimes it's cheaper for the NHS to send less complicated treatment through to the private sector and for children with complex needs they often purchase help from the voluntary sector (hospice care for instance).

 

It's the new NHS where they commission services from anyone and everyone without the contract automatically going to the nearest hospital with their highly expensive PFI loans to service.

 

Expect to see more of it for all kinds of treatment.

[mossgrove]

I understand where you are with the socialist principles as I held them for many years and in some ways still do. Having said that I found myself in a very similar position to you, the only difference being I had the option to go private nia a work healthcare scheme.

 

The test involved having a scope inserted 'fore and aft' to have a look what was going on.(all was well as it tuned out) My options were wait a month or so for the NHS or have it done privately in matter of days. I took the private option. I had a general anasthetic, slept through the whole thing and woke up in a nice bedroom with a cup of tea.

 

Had I gone down the NHS route I would have been awake for the whole thing including swallowing a large tube with a camera in it d and something much less fun at the other end! .I would have then been sent back to a (potentially crowded) ward.

 

If you ignore the waiting list issues you will almost certainly find the whole thing less traumatic in a Private Hospital. Less people about, less waiting, less noise, more privacy etc. and I am certain your doctor will have taken this into account when offering you the private option. I think you have enough to cope with in your life without having to make things more stressful on a point of principle and I do not believe anyone reading this thread will feel that you have let yourself or anyone else down.

 

Simon

 

 

[barefoot wend]

Agree with everyone that you should accept treatment. It will free up space for someone else who would otherwise have to wait longer.

[Mumble]

Everyone seems to be in agreement - *falls down in shock at this rare forum event*

:thumbs: Thanks everyone, I know what I have to do *throws principles out of the window*

 

I think I feel a little better about it because this hospital is entirely private, so it's not a case of pushing my way up an NHS list.

 

It's the new NHS where they commission services from anyone and everyone without the contract automatically going to the nearest hospital.

That is one issue - although it's still London and all of London is fairly easy to get to it's a long way from where I live and either of the hospitals I normally go to. I did find the travel directions amusing - most NHS hospitals list public transport first and put you off coming by car - this hospital tells you first how to get there by plane, taxi and private car!!! I must call them and find out if there's somewhere to park my helicopter! :lol: