Could we be banned from receiving NHS care after buying medication privately?

July 6, 2008

This subject has been on the news a lot recently and today I stumbled

across this news article just now:

The Chairman of the British Medical Association has said that it goes

against the values of the NHS for patients to top up with private

care. The article states that " Currently, anyone who pays for any form

of private treatment - even drugs unavailable on the NHS - can be

barred from the normal package of NHS care. "

Further along the article it states " The issue has come to a head in

recent months as a number of cancer patients have been banned from

receiving NHS care after topping up their treatment privately. The

rules have resulted in some terminally-ill patients being forced to

decide whether to pay for health care that would normally be free, or

go without drugs that could help extend their lives. "

I am wondering, does all this mean I could be barred from the normal

package of NHS care (if you can call it 'care') if I go the route of

self medication (adrenals) and actually tell them about it. Now I have

visions of my endo kicking me out of the NHS if I take Cortef and tell

her about it. I have 16 medications on repeat prescription every 28

days and a lot of outpatients appointments, I can't afford to be

kicked out of the NHS care system and am really scared about this.

Have any of you had similar concerns? Tell me if I am over-reacting (I

am very tired today and might be reading too much into this). If this

whole 'barred from the NHS' thing is true, the BMA will be causing

people to self-medicate in secret, which could be dangerous. I would

rather not tell them I am taking something than risk being kicked out

of NHS care.

I found the article contradicted itself in the following two paragraphs:

Firstly " Currently, anyone who pays for any form of private treatment

- even drugs unavailable on the NHS - can be barred from the normal

package of NHS care. " which implies I could be barred.

However earlier in the article it states " But Dr Meldrum denied he was

against allowing people pay for extra drugs to supplement their NHS care. "

Which of the above paragraphs is true and how much of a risk am I

taking if I take Cortef and then admit it to the Endocrinologist at my

appointment on 16th?

Have any of you been driven to self medicate in secret and not felt

able to tell your Endocrinologist or GP?

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