Patient Choice in Medicine is More Important Than You Might Think

The world of healthcare can be a daunting experience, especially for patients who have never needed medical attention before. UK citizens are lucky to have such a comprehensive and all encompassing health care system but it's easy to forget your rights as a patient when you're at the mercy of long waiting lists and staff shortages. Patients who choose private medical care are far more in control of the care they receive than their NHS counterparts, making patient choice much more important than you might think.

Should you need to see a specialist or undergo a ground-breaking operation, the chances are this kind of care won't be available on your doorstep. With this in mind, many NHS patients have to travel to receive their treatment and are at the mercy of being told where they can and can't be treated with no say in the matter. Private medical patients enjoy the right to choose where they are treated. Not only this but patients can also choose when they are treated which means healthcare fits in around their lives rather than vice versa.

Once patients are receiving medical care there's also very little choice as to the type of accommodation available. NHS patients often have to use communal bathrooms and have little privacy or space for visitors. Patients with medical cover needn't experience this however as there is much greater choice that means the majority of patients are treated in their own private room with en-suite facilities. Furthermore, private patients have more space and more flexible visiting hours so family and friends have even more opportunities to check up on the patient.

Finally, patient choice not only extends to where, when and how you are treated but also to who treats you. While NHS patients have little opportunity to choose consultants or surgeons, private patients can request a certain individual treats them based on a recommendation or personal preference. This level of patient choice means healthcare is no longer a case of roulette and instead something the patients themselves are in control of.

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