Private consultants

If a patient has chosen to pay for private healthcare because a) their treatment is not available on the NHS or b) they do not wish to be treated on the NHS, they are responsible for paying for all

costs, including tests, and the private consultant is responsible for managing every aspect of their healthcare (unless the patient chooses to transfer back to the NHS at a later date to continue treatment).

 

For that reason, private consultants should not be asking GPs to arrange any tests that they deem necessary, and intend to use, to make a diagnosis and recommend a course of treatment with.

 

Remember: It is the private consultant’s responsibility to arrange tests for patients whose care they are managing, and the patient’s responsibility to pay for them.

Further reasons private consultants should not be asking GPs to arrange tests for their private patients are as follows:

1. It is not possible to ‘pick and mix’ private and NHS treatment within the same episode of care.

(Tests are recommended as part of the diagnosis process brought about by an initial consultation).

2. NHS staff are not permitted to provide services for private practice without the consent of their

NHS employer.

3. The NHS should never subsidise private healthcare.

 

NHS GPs

Patients who are entitled to NHS treatment are able to opt into or out of NHS care at any stage.

 

They are, however, still liable for the cost of any treatment they have already received privately.  So, if a patient, who has started to pay for healthcare privately, chooses to transfer back to the NHS

to continue their treatment, they are able to do so as long as their treatment is available on the NHS and the patient is:

  • reassessed by an NHS clinician;

  • not given any preferential treatment or advantaged from having accessed part of the their care privately; and

  • subject to normal NHS waiting times.

 

This makes sure that the GP has overall clinical responsibility for managing the patient’s healthcare and prevents any ‘queue jumping’. It should also be noted that GPs are not obliged to arrange or prescribe treatment that has been privately recommended if it is contrary to their normal practice.