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NHS Pod wanted to do have a few private patients on the side.

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by frogs_feet, May 4, 2018.

  1. frogs_feet

    frogs_feet Welcome New Poster


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    Hi.

    I'm a NHS Pod with 7 years experience and have been considering doing a few private patients on top. It's mostly as I've been approached a lot of times by people asking if I'd treat them. I've always turned them down until now.

    What is the best way to do this regarding equipment and disposing costs? As I only want a few patients I didn't want to have to buy loads of equipment.

    Any reccomendations?

    Much appreciated!
     
  2. fayp

    fayp Member

    You need an autoclave and yelllow recycling, plus dom bag, several sets of instruments. So no easy options. Your can buy disposible instruments but then where do you dispose of them? My clinics are based in different dental surgeries, so I write into the contract use of autoclave and yellow recycling. So one option is to see if a local dentist would allow you this option.
    I personally don't think it is worth the hassle, and you have to show that you never use any NHS stuff for private, which is not easy. Then you have to show clear guide lines, if an NHS patient wants private inbetween is that a breach of contract.
    Why not just refer people to the many of us PP out here.
    On a seperate note I saw a very distressed lady the other day who had been dismissed from NHS treatment, but according to her, was told that as a diabetic she didn't ought to see anyone privately as lots of people can't treat diabetic feet, and she shouldn't treat her own feet! It's a shame NHS and PP don't support each other a bit more.
     
  3. Catfoot

    Catfoot Well-Known Member

    Sorry, frogs feet, but I agree with fayp - just don't go there.

    Even if your NHS trust allows you to undertake private podiatry work in your own time (and some don't) you are laying yourself open to all sorts of accusations re using NHS equipment for your own work.

    You will need to buy all your own equipment and keep it totally separate from your NHS materials. You need to be very sure that you don't treat any NHS patients otherwise there could be a conflict of interest, so it would be better to travel to a different area to make sure there is a clear division.

    As fayp says, you'll need to buy an autoclave and keep it maintained and insured or use disposables. A vacuum autoclave will run at about £2,500 or disposables at about £5 a set. You'll need a maintenance contract for your autoclave and a clinical waste contract that will give you a "waste transfer note" - you can't just shove it in the yellow sack at work.

    On top of all this you'll need to register with the Information Commissioner as the Data Protection laws are changing. You'll need your own stationary and consent forms, and they'll need to comply with the new GDPR rules (General Data Protection Regulations) that come into effect on 25 May this year.

    Operating a podiatry practice is expensive, so forget about "not spending a lot of money".

    For just treating a few patients it isn't worth the investment or the hassle :rolleyes:
     
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