外科 abroad: would you travel?

指名する: Fred Wade. Age: 65.

Home: Staines, Middlesex. 医療の problem: Cataract.

Waiting time on NHS: 12 to 18 months.

Cost if 扱う／治療するd 個人として in Britain: £2,500.

Cost in India: £230.

Travel and hotels: £1,100.

Two years ago I started losing the sight in my 権利 注目する，もくろむ because of cataracts. My sight had already failed in the left 注目する，もくろむ. This meant I couldn't read, I had to give up work and 設立する it difficult to 運動.

I was desperate. My life had become 制限するd because of my failing sight. I needed a magnifying glass to read, had to sit の近くに to the TV to see it 適切に and was about to give up 運動ing.

My only 選択 was a long wait on the NHS or 支払う／賃金ing a 抱擁する 私的な 法案 of around £2,500. I felt really despondent.

Then I heard through a friend that I could have a cataract 操作／手術 in India and that it would be quicker and cheaper was a lot cheaper than going 個人として in Britain. And Iha ve had no 複雑化s or 不快 since.

The 基準 of care in India was high and I would hav e no qualms about recommending people to go there.

I wasn't 用意が出来ている to wait an y longer for NHS 治療 here, or find the large sum needed to go 個人として. I'm delighted with how things turned out.

Since the 操作／手術, I hav e received lots of letters from people asking how they can travel abroad for 膝 操作／手術s, hip 交替／補充s and cataract 除去.

They are desperate because the NHS waiting 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）s are so long and they just cannot afford the 法案 for 私的な 外科 in Britain.

指名する: Russell Davies. Age: 30.

Home: Earls Barton, Northants.

医療の problem: Dislocated 膝. Waiting time on NHS: 12 months.

Cost if 扱う／治療するd 個人として in Britain: £7,000.

Cost in South Africa: £3,000.

Travel and hotels: £600.

Having had problems for many years with a 決裂d cruciate ligament and 損失d cartilage, it was no surprise that something as simple as skidding on a wet 床に打ち倒す at a party would be the last straw for my left 膝. I'd had 増加するing problems since about 1983, when I was hospitalised after a violent attack in South-East London. I had been referred for an 操作／手術 in 1987, but this 証明するd 完全に 効果のない／無能な. I was told my cruciate ligament was torn 完全に and that 正規の／正選手 演習 would 強化する the muscles and support the 損失d area. It didn't - my 膝 was still 完全に 安定性のない.

My 落ちる in May 2000 left me on crutches for nearly two months. A 顧問 確認するd that I needed reconstructive 膝 外科 - but this was scheduled for April 2001 - almost a year later. 嘆願s to my GP and 顧問 証明するd useless. I couldn't walk and was in a 広大な／多数の／重要な 取引，協定 of 苦痛.

A 私的な 操作／手術 was 利用できる within a month, but at a cost of £7,000 - 井戸／弁護士席 beyond my reach.

A friend told me of an organisation that 始める，決めるs up 医療の 手続きs in South Africa called Garden 大勝する Medicare, run by 略奪する Gee. 略奪する put me in touch with the 外科医 Dr Bester in South Africa.

The cost of 外科 was just over £3,000 for the 操作／手術, so I flew out 早期に in December 2000. A return flight cost just over £500.

I was met at the airport by one of the doctors' wives and was 認める to the clinic that night, with 外科 scheduled for the に引き続いて morning. That evening, I had a visit from Dr Bester, who spent over an hour explaining th e 手続き in 詳細（に述べる）.

After the 操作／手術, Dr Bester spent over an hour explaining what had been done.

The 前進するd form of 外科 伴う／関わるd placing screws into the tibia and fibia made from 実体s 自然に occurring in the human bo d y. This meant that they would 最終的に become part of the bone itself, unlike metal screws which would haveto be 除去するd surgically several months after the 操作／手術

. My second week was spent in a superb hotel with my fianc? e Sarah, who flew out to be with me. At £14 a night we had a fabulous time (even though was on crutches) and the 日光 certainly helpedm y 回復 along no end.

That was all nearly nine months ago. My 膝 is 回復するing 井戸／弁護士席, I can walk 普通は and the 未来 looks 有望な.

What you should watch out for

The 政府 is still deciding how 計画（する）s for 解放する／自由な 操作／手術s abroad for NHS 患者s will work.

A 広報担当者 for the Department of Health saidd the 政府 'will be looking carefully at the 問題／発行するs 関係のある to safety and hospital 条件s.'

While there is no 法律制定 as yet, there are ways you can 保護する yourself. You will be する権利を与えるd to 捜し出す an NHS 操作／手術 abroad if you are 直面するing what is 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語d 'undue 延期する' - the exact time is not yet 明示するd.

The country you are 扱う／治療するd in must be in the European Union and must not have waiting 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）s.

You need to get an NHS 顧問 to recommend you for 外科 overseas - your health 当局 will 接触する the Department of Health on your に代わって, which will decide whether to 問題／発行する an E112 form authorising 支払い（額）, and then 通知する you accordingly. If you wish to be

扱う／治療するd in a country outside the EU, you will have to 支払う／賃金 for it yourself, whatever the circumstances.

You must talk to your GP before 乗る，着手するing on health care in another country. He may be aware of problems in particular countries and clinics, and needs to be aware of what 治療 you are having, in 事例／患者 you need follow-up care when you are 支援する home.

Find out as much as you can about where you are going. It is important to discover who is doing the 操作／手術 and where they trained.

Remember the drawbacks: the 激変 of travelling long distances, 気候 changes, time differences and the 失望／欲求不満 of n ot speak -ing the native language

And work out the cost of the trip carefully. Don't go to all the trouble of travelling abroad, only to discove r that it would have been cheaper to have the 操作／手術 個人として in Britain.