NI Health: ‘More people than ever paying for private healthcare’
By Marie-Louise Connolly and Catherine Smyth BBC News NI health unit12 minutes agoImage caption, Dr Ursula Mason is chair of the Royal College of GPsMore people than ever are having to use private healthcare which could mean more people getting into debt.That is according to the chair of the Royal College of GPs in Northern Ireland. Dr Ursula Mason, a GP in Carryduff, said there had been a "significant rise" in patients having their "health needs met in the private sector".She added the scope of such treatments had expanded beyond the traditional hip or knee replacement."More often than not people are putting their hands in their pockets and asking family, perhaps, to fund private care," she said.One independent hospital in Northern Ireland, Kingsbridge, has reported a 33% increase in f...