British Patients Look to Private Care as NHS Cuts Back on Treatments

Government authorities want patients to be more ill before they seek treatment

GPs believe the numbers of patients asking about paying for operations including cataract removal and joint replacements has increased markedly in the last year, according to a poll.

Dr Clare Gerada, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said it was "incontrovertible" that increased NHS rationing was behind the increase in going private, a trend she described as "very sad".