subject: How To Choose The Right Private Hospital Or Clinic For You [print this page] There are many reasons to consider private healthcare, including waiting times and the concern over MRSA in NHS hospitals. Private healthcare gives patients more choice over: the location of their hospital or clinic, when the treatment takes places and which consultant or private specialist they would like to go with.
Many people have private healthcare as their workplace offers it as a company benefit. However without medical insurance you can still go private, you can simply pay direct for your treatment.
There are many things to consider when choosing which private hospital or clinic to get treated in; it is not simply a case of which has the most stylish hospital furniture! Make sure you do your research and compare many hospitals within your area in aspects such as treatments, costs and credentials.
Location is extremely important for you to get to the hospital and then return for check-ups, and also for your loved ones to visit you. If you are getting private healthcare due to your healthcare insurance you will need to check that the clinic is approved by your insurance company.
It is worth checking the hospitals experience in undertaking your treatment or operation as some specialise in certain types of surgery. You can check what the after-care procedure is and what the situation is with rooms and equipment. Are you going to have your own room or is it shared? If you need equipment such as a BP Monitor, will you get your own or will it be used by all the other patients as well? With the increase in MRSA cases and the risk of infection in hospitals and clinics, these things should all be considered. Regarding cleanliness and safety, you can ask what the post-operative infection rate at the clinic/hospital is. All hospitals should carry out basic infection control surveillance and independent sector hospitals generally have a low rate of hospital acquired infection.
You can check that the staff at the hospital are fully qualified and whether they do any professional development training. You can even find out which medical suppliers they use to get their equipment from, making sure they use a reputable company. If you wanted to really check out the hospitals, there is a whole wealth of information available. However, some hospitals participate in quality schemes such as ISO 9000, and the Health Quality Service accreditation (HQS), which could be an easier way of checking them out.
