Half of Brits have no idea you can CHOOSE hospital you have NHS operation in & assume you have to wait, research reveals

HALF of Brits have “no idea you can choose which hospital you can have an NHS operation in”, according to research.

A poll of 2,000 adults revealed 47 per cent have never heard of ‘patient choice’ and assumed they have no option but to wait when it comes to waiting lists for going under the knife.

A quarter (24 per cent) also had no idea they could be seen in a private hospital as an NHS patient – such as for operations with long waiting lists such as hip and knee replacements.

While one in five assumed to get such treatment, you’d have to pay extra.

Of those that were aware you could choose, more found out through friends and family and by reading about it in the news than from their GP or consultant.

The research, commissioned by Practice Plus Group hospitals, which provide both NHS and private surgery, follows the publication of the government’s elective reform plan.

The plan commits to raising awareness of NHS patient choice and ensuring it is delivered for patients to help reduce waiting lists, including updates to its app, making it clearer that independent providers can be used for their treatment.

Jim Easton, CEO from the brand, said: “It’s fantastic news for patients that the government is committed to ensuring more people exercise their right to choose.

“This research shows there’s a lot of work to be done.

“We also need to see more GPs empowering their patients to make choices about their healthcare, and more long term partnerships between the NHS and private hospitals.”

The research also found that 69 per cent of those polled believe the government utilising private hospitals as a measure to drive down waiting lists is a good plan.

This rises to 79 per cent of people aged 65 and over, who have been particularly affected by long waits for the most common elective operations such as joint replacements, cataract removal and general surgery such as hernias.

When asked their top considerations when choosing where to have a procedure, 43 per cent named waiting time as the biggest factor.

Convenience was key for many with four in 10 saying its proximity to home would be crucial, while the hospital or surgeon’s reputation was a big factor for 39 per cent.

Six in 10 believed that making a choice where to be treated under the NHS would improve the chances of someone receiving a better quality of care.

While 76 per cent thought it was important to have the opportunity to choose the hospital according to the OnePoll.com data.

And 14 per cent were currently on a waiting list for a procedure at the time of polling, with 21 per cent of these having been so for more than a year.

Jim Easton, from Practice Plus Group, added: “Elective operations may be classed as ‘routine’ but for the people waiting for them who can’t walk, can’t work or enjoy the things they like to do, they are life changing.

“The private sector doesn’t have a silver bullet, but working with our NHS partners, we can make a significant difference.

“In the last year alone, the sector has delivered over a million procedures for the NHS, and we can do more.”