Like you Pete, I find this descision appalling. I hope she does sue but I would have thought that her target should be the Primary Care Trust who appear to be makiing decisions outside of their competence. If payment for private treatment negates your right to NHS treatment then we need to know now and to know when this decision was taken and by who.

Conversely a friend of my mothers who died earlier this year of a sudden brain tumour paid into private medical health insurance plan and the top band of privileges.

When she was rushed to hospital after her collapse she was treated by the NHS in the ER and then on life support and given surgery - but the tumour was inoperable. She never regained her faculties. Her family tried to then have her moved to a private hospital and care home since she had paid private.

Bupa refused her on the grounds she was first admitted to an NHS hospital for emergency treatment.

They are also refusing to refund the tens of thousands she paid into private healthcare.

Private healthcare bureaucrats - the future. No thanks.

Alison,

Sorry to hear about your mothers friend - public of private -an inoperable tumour is a terrible thing. My sympathies to your Mum on her loss.

I've heard too many stories like this to wish for a NHS or Canadian type solution for the US.

And its noted that every single one of the Brits / Irish that I know with good jobs all have private insurance. If NHS was so wonderful, they and their employers wouldn't be footing the bill for a private option, now would they?

The NHS now, like the private providers, will weasel out of a claim, as will the private providers? Well, guess they have no high moral ground.

Bureaucratic hijinks like this, one would think, could be remedied by the stroke of a legislative/regulatory pen.

One would think that Mrs. Alden SAVED the NHS a few quid by seeking first treatment at a private facility. Unless the NHS has reason to think that this treatment worsened the condition ( and even then...) they should shut up and do what Mrs. Alden and the rest of the country's taxpayers have paid a lifetime of taxes for.

--

Apropos of nothing, does Alison or anyone know if the French government medical service would be expected to take such a stance if a citizen had earlier obtained service from a private doctor?

It may be worth mentioning that many private treatment providers will reimburse you if you have treatment on the NHS.

Whether the reimbursement is limited to just bed occupancy cost, or the full cost of treatment received, I couldn't say...

One of the main reasons for having a private plan is that you can, within reason, dictate the timing of the treatment to fit in with a personal schedule.

The private sector has never, as far as I know, provided an emergency service...

The choice to mix-and-match treatments should surely rest with the patient...

Ernest

Why would the patient need to be reimbursed if the National Health had provided and paid for the service?

Phantom,

Ours is not to reason why, - perhaps at this time the private sector may feel under some pressure to provide the promised service, and this is a way to induce some to go NHS, to relieve that pressure.

In my experience, waiting times for 'private treatment' have reached almost NHS levels, for anything verging on the 'less than serious', thus negating one of the reasons for paying premiums...

Phantom

I think part of the US problem is that you are not honest enough with yourselves. For every every NHS story there is a story in the US of equal horror in a different way, some of which ive heard but which seem a surprise to Americans when relayed. And just the worry alone for uninsured with long term illness must be awful.

The very idea that we would swap out for a fully private commercial service is scary.

I was disgusted by that private health insurance screw up for my mothers friend, how dare they not refund her money when they fail to provide a service.

The beauty of the French system is that it is hybrid private public - and combines the best of both worlds. Universal cover and choice.

You top up to whatever level you need so you would never even find yourself in this situation of cross claims. You can use the fully private sector at will.

It is a continual mystery to me why the US and UK do not adopt the system that works and has proven itself to be the best in the world.

( apologies if I have mentioned this before )

A personal friend of mine has suffered from extreme nerve pain, mostly in the back, for the past six-seven years.

He had to take a leave of absence from work, as he just could not function.

His employer fulfilled their legal obligations to him...and as soon as they legally could do so, they fired him. Or as the bastards say, they "eliminated his position"

Long story short, he surprised me when he and his family moved to Le Peq France, where the wife works, and he still cannot.

My friend immediately got to see the inside of the French system, and he has been very impressed with it. He is under the care of a highly competent specialist, who is on the French system's committee/council on pain issues. The doctor has taken a very personal interest in this case.

My friend's terrible problem remains without a solution -- but he could not be more pleased with the quality of care he is receiving.