Private hospital leader hails ‘Good News’ for NHS Patients in Sheffield as right to choose hospital NHS or private hospital from shortlist introduced

Local Private Hospital Leader Kosta Antoniou, who runs Thornbury Hospital, hailed this development as “a game-changer for NHS patients in Sheffield.”

Previously, whilst the NHS Constitution committed to offering patients choice over their care, in practice GPs tend to refer patients to the local NHS hospital automatically, leaving them facing long waiting times in many cases.

The new Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, yesterday committed to offering patients a choice of five hospitals at the point of referral, stating: ‘Then they can decide what the most important factors are: do they want to go a bit further away and be seen a bit faster, or would they like to wait because it’s local and more convenient, or would they like to go to the hospital with the best reputation for treating their condition.’

Kosta Antoniou, Executive Director of Thornbury Hospital, said: “This step will give hope to so many families who are worried about long waits when they need vital treatment. Very often there are NHS appointments going spare at local private hospitals, and patients don't realise or aren't told they have the right to see the waiting times and results data at all local hospitals, and then to make an informed choice about where to have their operation.

"Thornbury Hospital has an outstanding reputation locally for patient experience and clinical results, with a team of the county’s leading consultants practicing here, and we stand ready to assist in giving patients in Sheffield as many options as possible.”