"Simple problem-extortionate bill-equipment from..."

I am a specialist UK physician and visited ENT at this hospital for a simple ear canal problem. I could not look into my ear but the diagnosis was pretty much obvious to me. I arrived there and was seen on time. However I was completely stunned - all the ENT equipment was ancient and I mean really ancient. I was examined by a colleague specialist who described to me what he could see in my ear - charge £195 which is high average for Lincoln but acceptable. He then proceeded to do tympanometry - a simple test of putting an ear bud in the ear and getting a reading on an instrument - 5 seconds test. This was totally unnecessary and not clinically indicated for my symptoms. The instrument was really old, it looked ancient and obviously on its last legs - charge £50 for what precisely I wonder. After that he proceeded to undertake a little bit of suction of the ear canal - an equally simple procedure to clear any ear canal debris - again the instrument was ancient and was not working - not very confidence inspiring. Following the usual apologies he proceeded to do this manually - this is ancient practice and a little bit dangerous because you could suck out the ear drum as well! With some apprehension I agreed for this 10 second procedure which was necessary in my case. All went well without complications - charge £107. My consultation lasted less than 20 minutes - total charge £352. My main complaint here is that this private hospital together with all other private hospitals tries to extract as much money out of you as possible often including unnecessary tests/procedures. Also you cannot make a good impression and charge extortionate prices with really old and malfunctioning instruments from the dark ages. Obviously the hospital is on a shoe string budget and is trying to extract the max profit with zero investment. Does the BMI Lincoln look like a modern american private clinic - not in your wildest dreams. So zero marks for wow factor. After my visit to this hospital I wondered what their operating rooms look like - if their outpatient instruments are anything to go by I wouldn't have an operation here if they paid me. So the moral of this experience is - IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON PATIENTS AND CHARGE SILLY PRICES MAKE SURE YOU INVEST APPROPRIATELY IN YOUR EQUIPMENT. Would I recommend this hospital as a physician to my patients - NO!