You may choose to be transferred from an NHS hospital to a private hospital for many reasons. For example, you may choose a hospital closer to your home, one that has the best reputation for the health services you need, or one where you can avoid a long waiting time to have treatment performed. If you don’t have health insurance, then you will have to pay for the private care yourself, and this can be quite expensive.

Well before claiming on health insurance, talk to your insurer about the specific procedure for transferring you from an NHS hospital to a private one. When you choose to be treated privately, you in no way give up your right to receive NHS services, and you are entitled to change your status again should you decide to go back into NHS care.

Your referring consultant or physician is the one who assesses and initiates the need for the transfer. The receiving hospital should accept you before arrangements for transport are made. It is up to the nursing staff to make transfer arrangements with the receiving hospital and to set up the correct ambulance for your transfer.

The referring unit is responsible for your care until you arrive at the private hospital and are admitted by them. If you are considering buying health cover, you may want to contact insurers when you compare health insurance to find out exactly how claiming on health insurance is handled in the event of a transfer from an NHS to a private hospital.