The NHS is brilliant and my experience of it has been consistently fantastic. I have lived in other countries and the brilliance of the NHS is even more apparent when you come back to the UK. Whilst I often hear people moan about not getting in to see their GP or not being given antibiotics when they have a cold it has to be said that if you are dangerously ill they will work hard to fix you. That being said having private health insurance is still important. It is particularly good for sporting injuries and for if you are unfortunate enough to need an extended period in hospital.
The private health service is generally better at dealing with sporting injuries and other injuries. Generally access to physiotherapists through the NHS takes a bit of time. Private health can have you in to see a physio within a day and many private practitioners can also offer the benefit of visiting you somewhere convenient to you. So you could have your sore back looked at from the comfort of your own home or even at your place of work. Also, the private sector can help you see the best consultants quicker than through the NHS. Many consultants split their hours between private and NHS work and generally the private waiting lists are much shorter.
