A chaotic NHS is why people now ‘go private’ | Letters

Ed Mason has been waiting 60 weeks for a partial knee operation, and David Hinchcliffe says accessing private healthcare is not a neutral act

Frances Ryan’s article rings familiar bells (Young people want to ‘go private’ – I’m a lifelong supporter of the NHS, but I can see why, 20 August). I have been waiting 60 weeks for a partial knee replacement. The hospital website and the NHS website say “average patient waiting time 18 weeks”.

However, at every stage my wait has been beset by avoidable delays: two cancelled appointments rescheduled months later, three months’ delay reviewing the MRI scan, referral from one consultant to another – a “new referral” – and a 12-week wait. After my first pre-op, failure to follow up on outstanding investigations necessitated a second pre-op, after which the clearance for surgery was not communicated to admissions until I pursued it, four weeks later.