Paying for a private room when treated under NHS

Most NHS hospitals have private wings you can pay for with either private medical insurance or cash.

NOTE: if you are in hospital, from experience, being on a ward means you get checked more frequently by the nurses, plus there are people looking out for you (other patients). I had an allergic reaction and had the other patients not buzzed for the nurses I would probably be dead.
It also passes the time quicker, people watching and talking to people.

Unless you're stuck on a stroke ward, in which case it's thoroughly depressing and you're best off getting home ASAP.

Btw you often have the option to pay for private hospital rooms when giving birth, with the NHS service.

Above ^^ I was talking about unexpected inpatient stays, and also planned operations

Whatever your local hospital is, look at their website.

My local hospital has a private ward, whist using the NHS doctors for your medical condition (ie you're only paying for the room).

Is Mrs Mutley sending you in for the chop? oO

ceres

Check what type of wards your hospital has in the department you will be … Check what type of wards your hospital has in the department you will be in. I've had two recent surgeries and on both occasions I was in a large single room with en-suite bathroom on a surgical ward where most of the rooms were singles - all NHS.Read lessRead more

My local will only put people with norovirus or other bugs into the private rooms on the wards.
(There is however a private wing for private patients).

I learnt that from experience; as a non-virus patient and also as a patient when I picked up norovirus.

The only good thing about norovirus was the private room, but it didn't have an ensuite so I had to use a noro-virus only patients loo (ugh) and wash using the basin in the room.

I discharged myself early.

Some private hospitals treat NHS patients. If you have the choice to choose and book (usually surgery) then choose the private hispital, still free, it might mean a longer wait. Side rooms on public wards are not private rooms these are used to isolate pations from others. No better care or facilities.

I was in hospital last month for four nights and every patient in that NHS hospital has their own private room. It's a massive new hospital in Glasgow. (Queen Elizabeth University Hospital - formerly Southern General). The rooms are at least double the size of the usual single rooms you see, and with a huge wet room ensuite. I even had a little fridge in my room and a free little tablet style tv on an arm that you can move around from the wall behind your bed. Large floor to ceiling window and blinds on the window into the corridor, for privacy.

I had been in the old hospital two months before, for nearly two weeks, in the usual four bed ward. I much preferred it (apart from sharing the toilet!!). ALL the nurses I spoke to in the new hospital said that most patients preferred the four bed wards, lots of the patients are elderly and felt lonely and isolated in their single rooms. They also said as someone already mentioned, that patients used to be able to alert staff to problems with other patients in their ward, things the staff hadn't or wouldnt notice. This obv can't happen now.

Anyway, that ramble was to suggest that a small ward isn't a bad thing. Also, I don't know about nowadays, but it used to be a lot cheaper to just go into a private hospital, than pay as a private patient on the NHS. You can't just pay for a room too, you would have to be paying for your consultant privately and you'd get a bill for every blood test, drip, observation, etc you have while in. Apart from paying for your horrible NHS food!

I was in hospital this year and kept getting swapped from private room to a four bedded bay. As others have said this was due to other patients with bugs being kept isolated. I was that poorly I dident care where I was being nursed to be honest and the care was just as good