Hi KK123,
Yes, you are correct, generally the prescriptions given in private healthcare need to be paid for by yourself. However, each time in my life that I have needed to see a private diabetic consultant to sort out the correct insulin regime for me, they have always written to my GP to get the medication added to my normal NHS prescription & also written to my NHS consultant to advise what they are doing with me and why.
Like you we always have had a private healthcare policy, but obviously for me, with pre-diagnosed T1 diabetes, that is not covered by that policy. I think you are correct too, that generally on a healthcare policy you tend to see consultants that also work within the NHS, but quicker & in a nicer environment. However, when you 'pay as you go' there is more flexibility for you to choose who you see to support you & often the people who seem to be more advanced in their field no longer work in the NHS. I am doing the same thing at the moment with care for my pregnancy, I have selected a clinic that has the best results in what it does (used them before in my first pregnancy) and then 'pay as I go' for monitoring my pregnancy. This is because the level of cover for pregnancy seems fairly restricted on most healthcare policies in the UK.