Partner Article

GPs are advising patients to consider private heathcare

69% of North West GPs tell patients who don’t meet requirements for procedures of limited clinical effectiveness, they can go private

56% of North West GPs are telling patients to wait until their condition worsens

Spire Healthcare, which has a local hospital in Liverpool, has surveyed 824 GPs in England to learn more about procedures limited by their Clinical Commissioning Group and the advice they give to patients who do not meet the eligibility* criteria set for surgery.

One significant finding is that 61% of GPs are indicating to their patients that they should consider using their private medical insurance where they have this.

85% of North West GP-led CCG’s appear to have identified their ‘procedures of limited clinical effectiveness’ (PoLCE). Surgery for varicose veins, tonsillectomy, carpel tunnel treatment and hernia repair topped the list - despite varicose vein and hernia surgery being two of the four NHS funded procedures followed up using Patient Reported Outcome Measures or PROMs. In addition, GPs also stated that knee arthroscopy, knee replacement, cataract surgery and vasectomy have also been either restricted or had their criteria for proceeding to surgery increased.

Alison Peake, Director of Spire Liverpool Hospital, commented: “The results of this survey demonstrate the very real and increasing pressures faced by GPs at a time of the greatest spending squeeze experienced by the NHS. Whilst GPs are dedicated to ensuring patients are able to receive the treatment they need, it is clear that procedures are either being restricted or delayed until certain local criteria are met, and we are concerned that patients in the Liverpool area may be living with symptoms unnecessarily. Patients requiring these common procedures need to know that the NHS is not their only option, and they can choose to be treated privately either by exercising their private medical insurance or by funding their treatment for themselves.

“Our team at Spire Liverpool Hospital engages with local GPs to highlight the choices available to their patients. This ensures patients are aware of the treatment pathways available to them, made simple through transparent pricing and helps GPs and CCGs make their budgets go further, enabling more patients to be treated through the NHS route. We would like to see patients being treated sooner and more effectively, avoiding even greater rationing of limited NHS resources.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Dan Minchin .