Case study on going to a private GP

The damning report from the Health Service Ombudsman yesterday revealed that complaints about patients being wiped by GP lists accounted for more than one in five (21 per cent) of complaints about GPs in 2010/11, up six per cent from the previous year.

But what’s the alternative if you are fed up with the way you are being treated by your NHS GP practise?

As we all become accustomed to the “modern” NHS GP practise it is hard to imagine an alternative, but some people, disillusioned with what they see as the impersonal nature of many visits to the doctor are going private.

One such practice is the Private Doctors Surgery on Upland Road in Leeds . But far from being a new initiative it has been established for far longer than the NHS, which is just 63 years old. Indeed, the GP practice has its roots dating back to 1898.

The Private Doctors Surgery, founded by Dr Herbert Beetham, is the only full-time private GP practice in Leeds.

Dr Michael Gould, senior partner in the surgery for over 30 years, explains its popularity: “Although the healthcare we provide is modern, we run the practice based on a more traditional model – that’s to say, we offer a very personal service and patients can see the same doctor every time. We also carry out home visits within the Leeds area.”

“Patients can get appointments usually on the same day or next day as required.

“We also offer open surgeries where patients can come in at those times and be seen without an appointment,” he added.

Dr Gould’s partner in the surgery, Dr Al-Timman, has been with the practice over 10 years and the two fully-qualified GPs have amassed decades of health care experience.

Between them they are on 24-hour call for their patients, meaning that they don’t employ any other doctors.

Dr Al-Timman comments: “Myself and Dr Gould try to meet all the needs of our patients between us, which makes the service we offer truly personal and consistent.”

Due to the surgery being a private practice, the pair say that more time can be allocated for each appointment than in an NHS setting. Medications can only be prescribed privately but these can sometimes be cheaper than the costs of NHS prescriptions, depending on the medicine. Medications are dispensed at the surgery itself, avoiding the need for patients to go and find a chemist.

The practice is flexible as to how services are delivered to patients, as Dr Gould explains: “If a patient comes to us for an opinion and then decides to continue treatment on the NHS, that’s not a problem. Equally, if more specialist treatment is required, we can refer patients to either a private or NHS hospital. We also offer consultations on a one-off basis, so patients can test out the service we offer.”

Dr Al-Timman comments: “I’m proud to say that we have many very satisfied patients, some of whom have been coming to us for decades. Whatever the changes in public healthcare, I feel confident that our surgery will still be around in another 100 years’ time.”