The Specialism of Private Healthcare

One of the main positives of private healthcare is that it is easier to get specialist care specific to the health issues a particular patient is suffering from. There are obviously specialists in the NHS for certain key areas, such as cancer, however private healthcare can offer specialist care where it may not be possible on the NHS, which has to cover all bases and provide for everyone within their budget.

On the NHS someone will initially have to visit their GP, even if thdy have a good idea of what the problem is. GP's cover everything and may not have much experience with this particular issue. If using private healthcare services a patient can, if they wish, go straight to a specialist who focuses on this area alone. Dealing with a specialist right from the start can be very beneficial. A patient might be referred to a specialist on the NHS but this will be through their GP.

Some private health clinics specialise in one area and one area only, for example mental health or pregnancy, so the entire clinic is dedicated to this alone. This can be advantageous to patients. They are dealing with practitioners who have a large amount of expertise in this area and they may be able to offer all kinds of services and extra's that might not be available elsewhere.

Specialist doctors can improve the service for patients. The first reason is an obvious one; they have a particular experience and expertise in dealing with the exact problems a patient is suffering from. They can, therefore, be better placed to help as they know this area inside out. It is also possible to receive very specific help rather than just within the same illness or condition. For example, rather than just seeing a bancer specialist, there may be specialists for different types of cancer, and then dietary experts and fitness experts who can advice patients on the lifestyle that is most likely to get them through their illness and prevent it from returning.

Unfortunately, the NHS has to be limited to some extent. It has to serve everyone and there are limited financial resources available to them. Extra services can be available privately that aren't available on the NHS. One example is pregnancy services. There is, of course, good quality pregnancy care on the NHS, but if going private, other services such as extra pregnancy tests are available. This is not a criticism of the NHS, but it is simply impossible for it to offer absolutely every service, so it has to prioritise. With private healthcare there are a wider range of services.

Are private doctors better than NHS doctors? The answer is that it is not the doctors that are better, but they are in a position to be able to specialise and offer more specialist services. They have more time to dedicate themselves to a particular specialism and more time to dedicate themselves to individual patients. This means they can offer a more personal touch and patients have more choice in how they are treated.

Andrew Marshall (c)
About this Author

If you are looking for a Private Doctor London visit the Medical Chambers, who have specialists across a wide range of areas.