Private MRI scan prior to NHS surgery?

Hi all,

My dad needs an MRI scan to determine if he needs some key hole surgery. NHS waiting times for MRI are pretty long, so he is thinking about having it done privately. He is worried that if he has the scan done privately, the NHS will not be willing to operate on him (at least without doing an NHS scan first) – as he has not come through the “proper” NHS route.

I would have thought the opposite – if anything the NHS would be happy as it means they have not had to pay for the MRI.

Anyone able to shed some light?

Thanks,
Duane

You wont just be able to pay and go for an MRI though. You will have to be referred by your GP, and be see by a consultant privately.

Which will all take time and cost money.

Besides which the NHS will want to do their own imaging, they can not use 3rd party information.

If he needs an MRI quickly, he will get an MRI quickly, if not unfortunately just wait.

@duane Wait for scan in most NHS units is few weeks maximum.

MRI should ideally be requested to answer a specific question. Depending on what the question is may affect how scan is done and what images are taken. It is thus sometimes more useful for surgeon to request scan – if they feel it is indicated.

Not always the case though.

Almost seven years ago I went to see my GP about a problem. After an examination she said a MRI scan was needed but the waiting time was very long (months). I mentioned the private health scheme through work. Within a week I was in Newcastle for the scan at the Nuffield hospital. The Nuffield checked the scan results and then referred me back to the NHS. The consultant at the Nuffield was the same man who looked after me for the NHS. The whole process saved me months of potential worry and uncertainty, for this I’ll be forever grateful. Turns out I had MS.
Good luck Duane’s dad.

Harris – yes but officially that’s all a bit naughty.

Not strictly true, I had a private MRI scan done when I broke my wrist as the NHS wait was too long. I was under care of the NHS fracture clinic, but had my (private) physio make the referral. Had the scan done at York University (!), they had someone (a proper qualified someone!) interpret the results and produce the report. I then sent this to my NHS fracture clinic consultant who was perfectly happy for me to do it this way. They also found a second fracture that he’d missed originally!

I would assume it would depend on the injury / condition though, a fracture is fairly black and white, other more squishy things may not be so clear cut?

I’m about to do what Harris did (for something different, a neurologist) and that method was recommended to me by a GP.

Cover from companies like Benenden seem to allow you to avoid NHS bottlenecks like an MRI scan

Also your dad will have already seen a consultant if an MRI is deemed to be required, is that right? That consultant might do private work too, ask them.

I went private to see a consultant about my back and had two MRI scans. I’m now seeing the same consultant for the same problem under the NHS and he is still accessing the original MRI scans

I’ve had a hernia op done at the Nuffield via the NHS. Apparently they have to do a certain amount of NHS work (for a reason I’m not sure about).

They are, however, a bit picky on who they take, basically straightforward cases. I had the option to be referred to a couple of other local hospitals with 18 week lead times or the Nuff with a couple of weeks wait so no-brainer for me really.

Worth seeing if your dad can be referred via GP to a private clinic doing NHS work?

Besides which the NHS will want to do their own imaging, they can not use 3rd party information.

Nonsense. Not only do we accept 3rd party imaging, we contract imaging out to the private sector as and when required. What the NHS might be less keen on is the report from the private sector, but once they have the imaging, the NHS can do their own report if they want to.
Images can be transferred between the private and public sectors either by burning to disk and posting or via an electronic imaging system called IEP which connects NHS Trusts with each other and the private sector. So no problem there.
However, private will cost and will still have to go through the NHS route for surgery and I’d suspect that going private for the scan might not mean getting the surgery any quicker.

OP – are you in Scotland by any chnace?

@ FunkyDunc. I hear you but in that moment my principles had to go out the window. The care I receive from the NHS is fantastic and if my one private hospital appointment freed up an appointment in the NHS then I’m Ok with that.

Apparently they have to do a certain amount of NHS work (for a reason I’m not sure about).

Waiting time reduction. Long waiting lists for scans – contract them out to get the lists down. Not only do we do that, we also use lorries which have CT and MR scanners built into them which come to hosptals for up to a week at atime and carry out scans – private sector again

Apparently they have to do a certain amount of NHS work (for a reason I’m not sure about).

They will be required to do a minimum number of procedures under the terms of their contract ususally to ensure.
1. the NHS gets value for money
2. the staff at the provider see enough paitents to maintain their skills

Big – there is a difference with the NHS contracting a private company to do MRI’s, and someone turning up to a clinic with a CD with an image on it.

I have been involved in contracting in private co. to do MRI’s and work some where that now contracts out an MRI van.

if my one private hospital appointment freed up an appointment in the NHS then I’m Ok with that.

Don’t worry I have done the same thing myself. Strictly speak though it isn’t supposed to happen.

There isn’t a big difference as long as they are DICOM images. I run the PACS digital imaging systems here and that includes uploading of images brought in on CDs. Again through IEP there is a system in place for the transfer of imaging between the private and public sector. I also upload images from abroad and in the US most radiological imaging is private sector.