On 2 Sides – Stay informed
Although everyone in the UK is entitled to free health care, there is sometimes some question marks over the efficiency of this service. Unfortunately over the past few years it has been well reported that the UK NHS is underfunded and they are failing on most service level targets in relations to waiting time in emergency rooms or for referrals to specialists. If you are looking to see a doctor quicker and don’t mind paying then bypassing the NHS and paying privately may be a better option. Your health is extremely important therefore getting the right advice from a GP at an early stage can help minimise any damage further on.
Where can you get Help
There are many different companies that offer you insurance coverage where if you need healthcare help then you can receive this. Specifically there are Private GPs – London area dotted all around the city where you can make appointments. Getting an appointment in one of these places is usually pretty easy and you can get the contact telephone details from the website. They usually advertise the costs on here as well for a consultation so that you know how much this would cost in advance and there will be no surprises. If for whatever reason, the local private surgery closest to you does not have a convenient appointment then they would give you the details of the next closest one which may be an option for you.
What do They Do?
Getting a consultation from a private GP does not just end with one specific meeting. If they need to see you again for a follow up meeting then this can be agreed. There is not much difference from seeing a NHS GP from a private GP apart from maybe the quality of service you receive but also the efficiency. If for whatever reason you need referred to a specialist then the private GP will offer to take care of this for you also. Clearly this is also costly however if you are looking to see a specialist on the NHS this can take many months and the locations can be very inconvenient. If you use the private system then generally this is extremely quick and efficient. In addition to this, if operations are then required or other care, this can generally all be covered.
How Much Does it Cost?
Going private unfortunately is not cheap. If you want to just pay up front fees the bills will rattle up but remember that this is your health and of the upmost of importance. What most people generally do is have insurance cover for private healthcare that they pay monthly. This can be taken out for different prices per month depending on the level of cover you are looking for. You can get basic cover for maybe just consultations but more advanced cover that will include specialist referrals and operations. Pre-existing medical conditions will require to be declared in advance as these will not be covered by the private insurance.
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