Yes, and being on an NHS waiting list does not affect your place on it — seeing us privately does not remove you from it or move you down.
What we can usefully do while you wait
- Manage symptoms in the meantime, which is often the hardest part of a long wait
- Review pain relief, and make sure what you are taking is appropriate and adequately protected
- Explain what you have been told — letters and results are frequently handed over without the time to make sense of them
- Arrange tests that would be useful to have in hand by the time the appointment comes
- Tell you plainly whether the wait is reasonable, and whether anything has changed enough to warrant contacting the hospital
What it will not do
It will not shorten your NHS wait. Paying privately gets you seen privately; the two queues are separate and we would not suggest otherwise.
If things get worse while you wait
Contact the hospital department directly — waiting lists are prioritised clinically and can be reviewed. We can write to your GP or to the department setting out what has changed, which sometimes helps.
Anything urgent needs 111 or A&E, not a booked appointment.