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Request for tests associated with private treatment.
If a patient has chosen to pay for private healthcare because
a) their treatment is not available on the NHS or b) they do not wish to be treated on the NHS, they are responsible for paying for all costs, including tests, and the private consultant is responsible for managing every aspect of their healthcare (unless the patient chooses not to continue with the episode of care within the private sector and transfer their care back to the NHS treatment). Patients should be aware that if they decide to continue their treatment within the NHS setting this will be subject to the following: a) reassessment by an NHS clinician b) subject to normal NHS wait times c) not given any preferential treatment or advantaged from having accessed part of their care privately.
For that reason, private consultants should not be asking GPs to arrange any tests that they deem necessary, and intend to use, to make a diagnosis and recommend a course of treatment with.
Remember: It is the private consultant’s responsibility to arrange tests for patients whose care they are managing, and the patient’s responsibility to pay for them.
Patients should be aware It is not possible to ‘pick and mix’ private and NHS treatment within the same episode of care.
