You have been given this information because you may choose to pay for a medicine or treatment that is not available locally on the NHS.
What is additional private care?
This is the term used when an NHS patient chooses to pay for a medicine or a treatment that is not available locally on the NHS.
As there is a limited amount of money to spend on healthcare in the UK the NHS cannot afford to pay for all medicines or treatments. That’s why decisions are often needed about whether a medicine or treatment can be funded by the NHS. The costs and benefits of a treatment must be value for money. This is becoming very important as more and more treatments become available.
Who makes the decisions about what is available on the NHS?
Some decisions about medicines and treatments available on the NHS are made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE are an independent organisation that make decisions for the NHS in England and Wales. If a treatment is approved as an option by NICE, NHS healthcare providers are required to make it available if a patient is appropriate.
Where NICE have not made a decision, NHS England, or the local Integrated Care Board make decisions about which treatments should be funded.
NHS England is the national NHS organisation responsible for all the healthcare you receive, and it funds NHS hospitals directly for the care that is specialist, less common or more complex in nature.
Your GP practice is part of an Integrated Care System (ICS). The ICS manages the services your GP provides. It must also make sure other health services are provided such as NHS hospitals. The ICS pay for some of the care provided by NHS hospitals.
Before your hospital doctor can tell you whether you can have a particular medicine or treatment on the NHS, they may need to ask NHS England or your ICS to see if they will fund it for you.
What information will you give me to help me decide whether I should pay for private care treatment?
Your hospital doctor will talk to you about the treatment or medicine choices available to you on the NHS. If you wish, the doctor can discuss other treatments they believe may help you that cannot be provided routinely by the NHS and that you may wish to consider paying for privately.
You will get written information about the benefits of treatment, the chances of you getting these benefits and the side effects of treatment. An estimate of the cost of treatment will be available.
Where will I go to get additional private care? Which consultant will look after me whilst I have additional private care?
In most cases, Leeds Teaching Hospitals will provide any additional private care you receive. It is expected that you will continue to see the same consultant for both your private and your NHS care. If Leeds Teaching Hospitals provide you with additional private care, you will pay the hospital directly for the treatment and no other payment will need to be made directly to your doctor.
Your hospital doctor will be able to give you more information.
Will I still be entitled to NHS care whilst I am receiving additional private care?
Yes. By having additional private care, you do not lose your right to NHS treatment or to the NHS medicines you are entitled to.
Will I be able to transfer back to the NHS option if the additional private care treatment is not effective or the side effects are unbearable?
Yes. You can transfer back to NHS care at any point in your treatment and your private care will be stopped.
What will I have to pay for?
As additional private care is not available on the NHS, you will be required to pay the full cost of private treatment. The NHS does not subsidise any private care.
The cost includes outpatient or day case appointments and inpatient stays. If you are considering additional private care, your hospital doctor will be able to get an estimate of the costs for you.
Could there be any other costs other than those in the estimate?
Yes, possibly. We will give you an estimate of the likely total cost of your care before you start treatment, but the actual charges can only be confirmed after you have received the actual treatment.
What happens if I need to be admitted as an inpatient whilst I am receiving additional private care?
If you need to be admitted to hospital to receive your additional private care, the cost of this will be included in the estimate of charges you will receive before your treatment starts.
If you need to be admitted to hospital for any other reason you will not be treated differently to anyone else. You will receive the normal standard NHS care for your condition.
Will the NHS pay for emergency treatment?
Yes. Any emergency treatment you may need will be funded by the NHS.
Will I be charged extra by the hospital if I telephone my consultant for advice in between appointments?
No, you will not be charged for general telephone advice. However, planned telephone consultations in place of a hospital visit are chargeable.
How and when will I have to pay for the treatment?
You will receive an estimate, and this will include information about how you can pay.
Before you receive your treatment, you will need to pay for it and show proof of payment (such as the receipt) to your doctor or pharmacist.
Will I have to pay for the full cost of treatment if I stop receiving it before the treatment?
Possibly. If the hospital has had to purchase a medicine for you which is not used for any other patients you may be charged for the amount ordered even if you do not receive all of it. Your hospital doctor will advise you if this is relevant for you.
What happens if I can no longer afford to pay for additional private treatment?
You can revert to the NHS care at any point in your care. Your additional private care treatment will be stopped.
Can any unpaid costs be met from my estate?
Yes. Any unpaid charges will be claimed from your estate by Leeds Teaching Hospitals.
If the NHS decide to fund this treatment in the future, would I get a refund for any treatment I have already paid for?
No. Should you decide to receive a treatment or medicine through additional private care you will not be entitled to a refund. However, should the treatment become available on the NHS in the future you would be entitled to continue to receive your treatment on the NHS.
What procedures are there in place to ensure quality and safety of the private care service?
The additional private care service will be provided by Leeds Teaching Hospitals. The quality of the service will be the same as that provided to NHS patients. Any medicine or treatment provided as additional private care will have been reviewed and supported in the hospital to be safe to be given in the additional private care service.
Where can I get more information on additional private care?
You can discuss any additional private care options with your hospital doctor who should provide you with written information on the options available. If you would like to read the guidance to the NHS in England on additional private care you can download the “Commissioning Policy: Defining the Boundaries between NHS and Private Healthcare” from the NHS England website www.england.nhs.uk.