BUPA

excellent not 'very excellent '

BMI are quoting £12-13000 Aveline - still expensive I know, but around 30% cheaper than your daughter has been quoted. Perhaps shopping around may be useful?

We're with Benenden. DH had his cataracts done 2 years ago, he would have still been waiting for treatment on the NHS here in Wales.

Katek no choice round here. Only one hospital and no point in long travel after such a big op.

Aveline I would have thought a long journey (100 miles?) was worth the journey to get a hip replacement done, if you were in pain and would have a long wait for it to be done on the NHS.

I opted for a hospital 25 miles away when I had a carpal tunnel op because it had the shortest waiting list, three weeks, rather than the one year plus being offered by all the centres nearer to me. It was NHS treatment.

Really not on the cards for DD. If forking out that sort of money you'd expect absolutely no inconvenience!

Well, not really, you annot expect private hospitals to be sited for your convenience , if you might never use them.

We have only used private facilties for outpatient visits and it is a round trip of 30 miles each time. In our last house the NHS hospital, which had a private wing was at the bottom of the road, with an alternative 2 miles away. The hospital is only responsible or interested in you when you are on the premises - and that includes the NHS

I don't expect them to be situated for my convenience but one of the main reasons DD wanted to go to the one close by was due to having to co ordinate child care, work and other caring committments and not having to fork out megabucks plus factor in such long journeys either side of the op. Clearly convenience costs more where we live!

A decision on any hospital treatment, private or NHS, is always going to be part of bigger picture.

I agree with Monica. People regularly travel from Belfast to Dublin for treatment.

We don’t have a choice as regards location……both NHS hospital and private hospital are 30 miles away and there’s only one of each! Some small cottage hospitals around the area have a few outpatient clinics, but are mainly for geriatric and maternity care. Nearest A&E is also in town, 30 miles away.