For £29, step to the front of ER queue
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* Mary Helen Spooner

A private company is opening an emergency room in west London where patients willing to pay about $64 (£29) for an initial consultation can avoid the long waits at accident and emergency departments run by the National Health Service (NHS).

Casualty Plus says it expects to treat patients with minor illnesses and injuries, and they will be seen “in minutes, not hours.” Additional treatment and tests will cost between $110 (£50) and $220 (£100), and the clinic will also offer health screenings, minor outpatient surgery and radiology, blood-testing and vaccination services. A spokesperson says the unit will not deal with critical or life-threatening conditions.

The NHS's accident and emergency departments treat about 15 million people annually, 80% of whom have “less serious” ailments. The government has promised to cut waiting times in these departments to 4 hours or less, but the British Medical Association is worried that such official pressure may cause physicians to rush and commit errors.

Casualty Plus says its clinic will relieve pressure within the NHS. The Can$11-million facility will be open from 7 am to 11 pm, and more clinics are expected to open by year's end. —* Mary Helen Spooner*, West Sussex, UK