Does anyone have experience or advice regarding going private for a hip replacement?

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harry
harry Member Posts: 4
in Work and financial support

Although I don't think I would considered this option in the past, with the current back log within the NHS I have been looking into the option of paying for a private hip replacement operation.

I have seen plenty of adverts for them, including going abroad I would appreciate anyone's experience including whether this is just que jumping or using private hospitals and thus helping the back log?

What should I look for and what is the likely cost?

Thank you

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  • Mike1
    Mike1 Member Posts: 1,992
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    I don't have experience of private hip replacement but I did Google it; apparently the cost in the UK is between £9-10,000 and you can get one done for a couple of grand less in places like Lithuania - not that you can get there at the moment. Personally I would not go private as firstly I do not have the money nor health insurance and secondly I think that it is immoral that Consultants who have been trained by the NHS, paid by the NHS take time off - and thereby cause the NHS hip replacement list to lengthen - to earn extra money doing private operations. To my mind their NHS contracts should bar them from working privately. HOWEVER, having widespread OA myself and seeing my baby sister in agony waiting for knee replacements yet struggling to carry on working, I can sympathise with anyone seeking a quicker resolution to their pain.

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,740
    edited 24. Jan 2021, 16:01
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    There's no way on this planet I'd go abroad for this. Too many horror stories, and no come back if it goes wrong - you just end up in A&E or back on the NHS waiting list.

    My sister and her husband had their knees replaced privately on her husband's company health insurance, and they were good experiences.

    However, I have no health insurance. I thought about going private but with the pandemic on it wouldn't have made much difference in terms of timescale, plus if I waited just a few months longer I got the same operation at the same hospital with the same surgeon for free, so I decided I'd hang out for the NHS. The only difference I can make out is that you may get it a bit quicker, you may get a nicer room, and the surgeon is nicer to you and gives you a bit more time as you're paying them. But as Mike says, I'd feel guilty that I was queue jumping people who were possibly far worse off, and delaying their op by taking up valuable theatre time.

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