Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

Hi

Just wondering how you can see a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada? Got a GP referral and can't see consultant until October. Don't fancy waiting 4 months and I am happy to pay. Done a bit of reading and apparently nothing like BUPA exists in Canada? Private healthcare is illegal (or something like that) ?Can someone please provide some guidance/ enlighten me.

Should mention I am in Vancouver, BC.

Cheers
Gary

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

You can see a consultant/specialist a bit earlier if the GP marks the referral as "urgent".

USA could be an option?

So what's up, wanna talk about it?

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

My daughter had a 16 month wait for an appointment. I ended up taking her to the USA which worked well - I got an appointment within a week of calling. Depending on what it is for this option can be very expensive - you should make sure you find out the full cost before hand and negotiate a discount.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

For a medical appointment, you can't. For cosmetics you can.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

Basically private health INSURANCE for provincially covered services is illegal in Canada, and although doctors are free to see patients privately, they are not allowed to do that AND see provincially funded patients (who would be the vast majority due to the absence of private insurance to pay for it).

Because of this there is no market for private physicians; In short if you want to see a consultant sooner your best bet is to go see one in the US and pay them out of your own pocket. There is I believe some sort of legal challenge to the canadian system going on in Quebec, although Ive heard nothing about it for a while, so thats how it works for now.


Its socialised medicine, people are theoretically prioritised based on perceived medical need. I like the idea that I wont get bumped because someone has more money than me.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

Go the US. You're in Van; not far from the border.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

Do people get bumped in England because private healthcare is allowed? Thought not.

In fact you could argue that you are seen quicker as the rich bugger in front of you is taken out of system:p

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

Of COURSE they do, its the same doctors doing private practice that cover the NHS. They dont magically create more hours in the day.

Not only do people with less medical necessity get to the front of the queue before the proles without BUPA, the additional income from his private practice means my Surgeon buddy can take an extra afternoon off his NHS hours to go hone his golf game, once he's shoehorned his clubs on the back of his Merc Convertible.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

Quite. It happened to someone I knew in the UK. The surgeon said he needed heart bypass surgery. The waiting list on the NHS was 10 months. However, the surgeon could do the operation in a BUPA hospital next week.

"No BUPA? I can accept cash. It is £10,000. Can't afford it? See you in ten months then."

He died three months later.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

Happened to me. I needed a foot operation - saw a consultant surgeon, and was told he had an 18 month waiting list. Found I was covered by my father's BUPA scheme, and the same surgeon performed the operation the following week.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

I am sure you are all aware that the doctors are on contract with the NHS. Their contract requires them to put x hours per week into the NHS. If they do the work privately, they are doing so on their rest days.

Are you all suggesting that these doctors should work 24/7?

What is wrong with them doing a second job, just as all of us on here can?

How many on here work for less than the going rate?

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

You asked

and the answer is yes. There are finite health care resources in any system. They are rationed either by medical need or ability to pay. To suggest that, in a hybrid system like the UK, the same people would be treated in the same order if the ability to pay for private treatment was removed is fanciful.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

My surgeon worked 3 days a week for the NHS, and 2 days for the private BUPA hospital. It's not about working rest days at all. If he (and colleagues) were committed to the NHS full time, maybe the waiting list would have been shorter. The market's just different in the UK, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

As you have stated, there are finite NHS resources. I accept that is the same doctors but those doctors would be playing golf, watching TV, etc, on their NHS rest days. So, when doing the work privately, they are not taking time away that they could be working in the NHS, unless your argument is that they do so for free.

You appear to be suggesting that if private treatment was removed in the UK, people would be seen, it would appear, on the NHS on the ability to pay. What is your authority for this? Put another way, please provide me with evidence that, by making a payment to the NHS over and above what one would pay in taxes, etc. someone was treated quicker on the NHS.

Re: Seeing a consultant (doctor) privately in Canada
 

Depends what kind of Consultant. There are a couple of so-called private clinics in Van - can't remember the name of them but they were just on the news as the government is trying once again to shut them down.