New clinic to offer hundreds of NHS appointments

Surgeon Arpit Patel will see patients at the site in King's Lynn, saving them trips to the Spire hospital in Cambridge

A new private medical clinic has opened in Norfolk to offer NHS care closer to people's homes.

Spire King's Lynn will see patients who need procedures including joint replacements, hernia repairs and urology care.

About 1,700 appointments for pre and post operative care are available at the new base on Edward Benefer Way.

The Department of Health has a plan to reduce hospital waiting lists which includes provision for more NHS operations to be carried out by private providers.

Clinical director for Spire Nayab Haider said patients should be able to choose to have NHS care within the private sector

Nayab Haider, clinical director for Spire, said: "Since we opened on 29 September we've already seen 90 patients which is significant given we are very new.

"We're taking our time making sure we are offering a quality service and the right kinds of services."

Mr Haider hopes more patients waiting for NHS care ask their GPs about the right to choose, which is a legal right for patients to have options about where care is delivered.

Patients waiting for NHS care can have it delivered at a private practice paid for by local health commissioners.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Arpit Patel said waiting lists could be very different.

"There can be a huge discrepancy," he said.

"I think at the moment in the NHS the waiting list (for orthopaedic care) is around 62 to 64 weeks.

"At Spire my waiting list is three months."

Norfolk GP Dr Clare Aitchison said patients should have the right to choose, but it can disadvantage people who do not know about it or fear they could end up paying.

She said: "The problem is that at the moment patients who do find out about it (the right to choose) and therefore get access to shorter waiting lists are generally the more educated, maybe more middle class patients anyway.

"That is increasing health inequality again because people who have higher means are working the system better."

She said it was important that everyone was told about the right to choose and the option to have private care.