I completely believe in the principle of free healthcare for everyone at the point of service. I respect the NHS and have the greatest of admiration for the staff that make it what it is. I am from a generation that never went to the doctor. The doctor came to your house when you were sick but there was a great pride taken in never being sick. Colds were treated with a bottle water bottle and a couple of aspirin or a lemsip or beechams powders. Home remedies and self diagnosis were common place even without Dr. Google. And your body was a miracle machine that would always heal it’s self given rest and sleep. I don’t remember my father ever doing to the doctor in his whole life until he was receiving end of life care. People never used the doctor for sick notes, going to work was a pleasure and people didn’t want to be seen as taking up the doctors time unless absolutely necessary. Times have changed.

I recently visited the Spires Hospital in Leicester and when the consultant I saw asked me for the name of my G.P. And I said I didn’t know, I’d never been, they laughed.

I could have gone to my G.P. without incurring a fee but I knew my concern could be considered cosmetic unless the problem for me was found to have a more sinister diagnosis.

When choosing to go private of course cost for most people is the primary concern. My initial consultation with a very senior experienced consultant cost £250. And further treatment depending on what is required can run into the thousands so this must be considered. If you have medical insurance the co pay cost to the patient varies from plan to plan.

The Spires Hospital is more like a hotel reception than a hospital waiting room. Clean bright, art on the walls and a drinks station when you can order a cappuccino while you wait. Other hot and cold drinks were available.

The staff on reception weren’t super friendly so don’t expect hotel reception hospitality and whilst they say you shouldn’t have to wait more than 10 minutes for your appointment I was kept waiting longer than I would have expected.

When I was called on to see my assigned physician the experience was excellent, thorough, relaxed, not rushed in anyway, kind, considerate and connected. I felt like it was worth the money and safe and in good hands.

With regard to payment, the hospital takes a card to guarantee payment before any appointment but you don’t pay at the time. They send you a bill which you then settle.

In my case it was something minor I needed sorting, a lump on my face attributed to aging which an aesthetic practitioner had said she could easily remove but it was very close to my eye, my main reason for investing in and taking this route. I wanted an experienced doctor’s opinion, skill and the biopsy option available if deemed necessary.

It’s important to add here if you get a diagnosis privately where the cost of treatment is too high you can revert back to the NHS for care.

Your private consultant can arrange your transfer back. They will write a clinical letter (handover) to your NHS GP detailing your diagnosis and the test results, and often copy in the relevant NHS specialist team at the local hospital. Once this referral is accepted, you join the NHS waiting list just as if you were an NHS patient throughout the entire process.

Opting for a private consultation or diagnostic test gets you answers much faster, but it does not allow you to skip the queue for subsequent NHS treatment. Your wait time will be calculated based on your clinical need relative to others on the NHS waiting list (though urgent pathways, like cancer referrals, are prioritized regardless of how the diagnosis was made.

Basically I had too routes available, get the lump sorted quickly and easily privately and pay the bill and should it turn out to be something more serious I couldn’t afford to treat privately I could refer back to the NHS.

Would I recommend Spires Hospital absolutely if you can’t get what you need on the NHS the care I received I was very happy with. Is it better? The care is the same, you could even get the same consultant on the NHS, the difference you don’t get to choose and the environment, convenience and speed is better.

My advice do your research beforehand so you have a realistic expectation of what it is going to cost for treatment ahead of time. If you need a hospital theatre, an anaesthetist and days of post op after care bills can run into thousands of pounds.