Hypothetical situation. I’m not employed by any of the parties referred to.
I’m interested in your thoughts on this: a person elects to have essential surgery privately. Surgery proceeds uneventfully and the patient is chucked out. Private hospital contacts NHS service enquiring if service can carry out post-surgery rehabilitation. The service concerned is stretched to the limit with NHS patients.
My instinctive reaction was: 1. FFS, surely the private hospital should have an established rehab service if it is going to carry out such procedures. 2. That’s nice, do the profitable bit, let the NHS sort out the rest.
On reflection though, people in this situation are entitled to NHS care - and indeed if they had not had the surgery carried out privately it would have had to be done on the NHS anyway.
Just to clarify, this wasn’t a query about rehab on a paid for basis; charging for the service not an option in this case (that was thought #3).
For the purposes of argument assume that in this situation a patient’s well-being would be the priority, whether NHS provided or otherwise.
Am I wrong to feel (mildly; about a 2/5) grumbly about this use of NHS services?
