nhs VS private

[charlie_pops]

evening ladies and gents, im currently waiting for my nurses appointment in 2 months time for her to give me a target to loose weight then all being good ill get the camera down my throat( bypass fingers crossed) then its a wait.after xmas i think now. i have the opportunity to do some work that would give me the funds for going private, the question is waiting or going private, id probs stay in this country for the op. theres the security of the nhs that if anything goes wrong, there gonna look after me and help.

any advice or experiences lovely people x

 

[BrianT]

if I'd had the money I would have gone private just so that I could choose when and where. as it was I went NHS and they were great although I did have a year's wait.

 

[JO28172]

I didn't qualify as bmi was 41 with no comorbidities. So it was private or not at all. Beauty is no hoops to jump thru and I was booked in for op 13 days after initial consultation! Can't beat the speed of private

 

[claire-anna]

I went private also, but went abroad.. It all happened so quickly and I'm very happy.. I would never had been accepted with NHS as low BMi...

Good luck with your journey xx

 

[lyzzyanne]

I had to jump through the hoops to get funding for NHS so I started out going down the private route. I was eventually accepted by the NHS so I went with the cheaper option. I had the same surgeon for private and NHS so the difference would have been speed, In the end I only waited six months with NHS, would have been 5 if the original date had been ok for me.

 

[suzie290304]

Hi Charlie if it was me I would wait for the nhs as your nearly through the long part once you see the nurse it's only a few months to see the surgeon for your date then put the money aside for if you need plastics. I know it's frustrating waiting for surgery but the good news is you have the funding for wlsurgery on the nhs. Your journey is very almost over x

 

[shelleymarie]

The thing with private it isn't always straight away, I still had to wait 4 months for my op because of the surgeon I wanted but still that is a lot quicker than NHS. Having said that seeing you are nearly through the long haul, maybe having the money for plastics is something to consider? I will have to hope I win the lottery or can get a loan as that is all my money gone. It's up to you but maybe you can research where you would have it privately and see if they offer a free consultation. Obviously you have to think about your long term future and whether you would be happy without plastics if you can't afford them later on. It does depend on where you go but private and NHS patient were treated exactly the same (very well) where I had my op. Best of luck x

 

[OOnion]

I sat on the NHS waiting list for a year - every month I got bigger as I kept doing that "last supper" thing. After a year I felt I could not mentally and physically wait any longer - so I stayed with Mr Patel and went privately...wish I had done it the year before!
If you have the money I would def say go private - but in an NHS hospital for safety.
Good Luck
x

 

[Paula Garner]

That's do true oonion. That's exactly how I feel now. I'm still waiting and every day it gets harder and harder. But I keep thinking the reward will be worth it in the end. But I'm really struggling.

 

[Bella'sBand]

I tried the NHS route but was discouraged and told not enough funding and my BMI would have to be over 50 and have at least two medical conditions caused by my weight.
So in other words they would help me if I got more unhealthy, more out of shape and more sick. Which without the WLS is exactly where I would be in 3-4 years time.
So they are happy to pay for medical conditions caused by weight, watch you develope diabetes, follow in my family with a heart condition THEN they would help me. But help me to prevent getting that far and costing the NHS to medicate those conditions, no don't be silly, that would be too logical!
So for me the only option I had was private. The minus is of course the cost, who has thousands to burn? Not me... But the plus is I could have as many consultations as I liked, talk to someone at the end of the phone any time with any questions, choose my surgeon and choose when are where I have it.
I am having a Gastric band fitted tomorrow and am counting down the hours. I would have dearly loved the Gastric sleeve but alas it was double the price, and I needed to do something about my weight ASAP. I did not want to go through another year of Diet starts Monday! And Monday coming and going. I am sure you know the story!
So really you have to do what is best for you. But once you have made your decision which route you are going down, then either way just go for it all guns a blazing
Good luck with your decision whatever it may be

 

[novamay]

I agree with Suzie - you have NHS funding for the surgery, so save your money for the plastics should you need it. If not - splash out on a dream holiday and a new wardrobe of clothes. It seems ages, but six months will fly by - we're over half way to Xmas now - so your surgery will be here before you know it.

Referred in 2010 by my GP, I'm only half way through my journey as the psychiatrist has just agreed to consider sleeve surgery - I'll still have to wait to see if the multi-disciplinary panel will agree to this as they originally proposed a bypass. I'm not sure when I'll get my surgery, but have been assured by the bariatric nurse that the funding will stay with me until its time. I was so worried that there was an expiry date on the funding as you cant tell what's around the corner with the NHS or the Government at the moment! So I'm happy to wait - I'm working on my emotional eating, trying to address that so I don't have major problems in the future once the surgey has been done, getting used to smaller portions, and drinking/eating separately - time well spent!

 

[tartanlady]

I would wait for nhs and put money aside for plastics as if you have a lot to loose you will not feel right with all the saggy skin you will get

 

[emma-louise]

I had a bypass done with the nhs,
If I had a choice I would still have gone with the nhs.
What you have to think about is the aftercare after the operation.
Reason I say this is,I have a close relative who paid private to have surgery done,and the aftercare she recieved is appalling.
Compared to me,I have yearly checks and access to nhs dietician and baratric nurses should a problem arise.
I think this is so important when making a descision.

 

[martinails]

the surgeon at huddersfield Mr Pedro Ballister is from the private clinic in Elland so were really lucky because of heard at huddersfield and Calderdale we have the best surgical team so nhs all the way
Find out about your surgeons and it may be worth the wait too save all that money xxx

 

[charlie_pops]

the nhs surgeon mr woodcock im under does private surgery too so i think i would go with him either way, good point about saving for the plastics, i only have 10stone to loose but i think id need nipping and tucking. newcastle pct is brilliant as i didnt have to apply for funding or anything, basicly if you were invited to the hospitals seminar you were " in ", my bmi was 41 at the start and is 38 now and im still on board.i think its shocking that theres such a difference in who can have it and who cant as i wouldnt even be entertained in another pct. i havnt had any dietician or psychologist appointments, thats whats scarying me that they turn round and say im a nutter and ive waited for nothing i lost over a stone with my why weight course but i can feel it creeping back on with all the waiting around.

 

[stubad]

No comparison, not only does the nhs not cost you thousands but you get a lifetimr of free after care, to the highest standards of research, don't go private if u have a choice

 

[JO28172]

No comparison, not only does the nhs not cost you thousands but you get a lifetimr of free after care, to the highest standards of research, don't go private if u have a choice

Each to their own but I'd disagree. My aftercare has been spot on and I didn't have to be put thru the mill prior. But guess that's why we are all different

 

[lolalou]

I would have preferred to go the nhs route mainly because of the aftercare, but I went private and had the op very quickly and glad as I'd been asking the doctor for years to refer me and he wouldnt :-( however I did ask my private surgeon where I stood with the nhs and if something went wrong and he did say if it was a risk to my health the nhs were obliged to help. Because I said what if it slipped or was damaging my health and I couldn't get the money to fix it. He was surprised that I thought I would get no help from the nhs in that case. I'm under no illusions that if I simply wanted it out because I was bored of it that I would have to pay myself. But I hope he wasn't wrong and the nhs would help if I was ill! I also hope I will never have to find out! Eek! Good luck either way! I think the aftercare is definately the main selling point for the nhs. Private is usually faster and just as effective as the surgeons that do it often work for the nhs too. I'm only a few weeks out so I can't comment too much. But I'm glad I finally paid for it myself and it's over and done with and I can start losing now. Obviously I could rather have saved my money but think this is a good investment for me. Fingers crossed x

 

[Dinnoo68]

tough call

just to add my thoughts......

i have been on the nhs waiting list for nearly 2years. i have a bmi over 60. over 100 people who joined the nhs waiting list after me have had their ops on the nhs in a private hospital so as to reduce the waiting list, but not me. i have now been given 3 op dates (at an nhs hospital) and have started my pre op diet each time only for the dates to be cancelled. i have been given another date in august but have been told not to get my hopes up that the op will go ahead. so basically the nhs do bariatric surgery for less fat people in private hospitals, and us real fatties with other health issues are pushed back & back and forgotten about. i feel like the nhs is waiting for me to die so i'm not a burden on its waiting list. i was told it is all to do with manipulating numbers & lists - nothing to do with who needs help.
i am disgusted with the nhs

sorry to moan but i'm so upset

dxx

 

[Bellydancer57]

I was going to go private as though NHS was not an option. My GP was very supportive. Waited from first GP discussion until op exactly 1 year. Everything was fantastic. On reflection I am kinda glad of the wait as it was not an easy decision & it gave me time to research & make a informed decision & the right one for me. I did change my mind from band to sleeve. Also it gave me time to adjust myself to the new way of life. Haven't looked back & NHS team still very supportive etc.