NHS hospital chiefs have sparked fury by charging for operations that were free.
Warrington and Halton Hospitals Trust offers new hips for £18,143 among a list of 71 costly private treatments.
Labour’s Jon Ashworth, right, said: “It really is a total disgrace.”
Desperate patients are being left in agony because they cannot afford the private operations on offer at an NHS trust that were once free.
Vital procedures such as hip and knee replacements cost up to £18,143, cataracts £2,368 and hernias £7,719, way outside most ordinary people’s budgets.
Patients will only get free treatment if they meet certain criteria, including how severe their condition is. It means many will have to wait in pain while they get worse before surgeons will act.
Just wait till the other 60% goes private!
I'll tell you what, those moaning and being coerce to spout, saying 'We'd be better off going private'! will start moaning when it cost £25 just to see a doctor! - Being put forward now under the proviso that it would stop people not keeping their appointments!
It is only the fact that the elderly and genuine ones NEEDING as such that is stopping it.
Jeremy Hunt carried on in Thatcher's foot steps of slowly stifling it and dismantling the N.H.S.
He wrote the a book saying how he would do it! Then got the job.
Yes I hear some saying 'Never Happen … they would never get in power again' etc.
Rubbish lies and deceit has been proven to work time and time again.