UK case brings attention to NHS wait times, international surgery

A case in the UK involving a woman who has decided to take her son to India for surgery rather than endure a long wait with the National Health Service is drawing media attention. Elliot Knot, who suffered a serious back injury in January while ice skating, was told by NHS doctors that he would have to wait another nine months for his operation. After learning that surgery at a private hospital would be prohibitively expensive, his mother decided to fly him to India. The incident comes in the same week as a report on waiting times prepared by health policy group the King's Fund, which argues that recent changes to the country's healthcare system could lead to longer delays for patients seeking treatment.

- see this story from the Guardian

PLUS: Read the King's Fund report on NHS wait times. Website