Quote:
|
Otherwise the people with the private insurance are stepping on the people coming in through the public system, by definition, if they are somehow able to jump the queue and get better, faster treatment.
|
I used to work in a hospital in the UK and experienced just this sort of thing with one of the consultants I worked for. He would initially see patients at the private hospital, then slip them onto the top of his list in our public hospital where he also had a clinic. It was very difficult for me to explain to his ordinary patients why they were continually being pushed back down the list.
The fact was that his private patients were paying big bucks for appointments with him, but when it came to other services he couldn't provide e.g. scans, X-rays etc. he'd just slip them onto his list in the public hospital where these facilities were available on the National Health Service.
I wouldn't like to say how it works in NZ, but it would be great if private treatment was kept totally separate from the public system, thereby alleviating pressure on those who can't afford to pay privately or who haven't got insurance.