Outsourcing By The Nhs

[237SJ]

How long have the NHS been outsourcing diagnostic scanning etc? I went for an ultrasound scan today (via the NHS). I only booked it last week and an appointment was available when it suited me and the service was excellent. It was at a private place in Waterloo. I guess it makes sense that private companies incur the costs of purchasing and maintaining equipment which is in short supply within the NHS and are able to take up the slack. I was just wondering how long this has been going on because I haven`t heard of it before.

[woofgang]

PP I am not saying that there aren't quality issues, they happen everywhere...the NHS itself is rife with them, just saying that the protection and complaints procedure is the same as if the procedure had happened in the NHS facility.

[Greedyfly]

The whole time I've worked there. Lots of 'private' work is done to stop the incurrence of waiting lists targets being breached.

[Greedyfly]

Wolfgang that depends on where the treatment was given. Sometimes it falls under the NHS complaints procedure and some stones the 'private company' handle in house.

[Greedyfly]

Even if the NHS have sent you there

[boxtops]

woof - thanks for that, it's the way I understand it too. Any Willing Provider has to provide care of the standard expected and laid down by the NHS. IMO.

[woofgang]

GF, what do they handle in house and who sends the the aggrieved patient there?

[boxtops]

As a matter of interest, this isn't new. OH had to have an MRI scan before having an operation on his nose six years or so back. The choice was to pay a shedload of money to have it done privately here, wait months to have an NHS procedure, or go to Belgium to have it done - OK he had to pay but it was peanuts compared to what he'd have paid in the UK. He went to an excellent hospital in Ghent, and brought the scans back with him on the train :-)

[boxtops]

In my experience locally, the NHS have been outsourcing many services for a long time now.  It makes sense if there are spaces in private facilities when there are long waiting lists for NHS services.