"Orthopaedics as NHS patient"

I'm not sure if the service we receive as NHS patients compares to those paid for under medical insurance (looks like we may not get access to the same consultants). I have been a patient of both BIH and The Royal Berks as NHS patient and so feel I can compare well. Although you get your free coffee and the consultant comes out to meet you, that's window dressing really. On a positive note I only had to wait 2 weeks for an appointment (although was never communicated to from the hospital after using choose and book) and an MRI scan was organised within a few days. On more a disappointing note, the examination on my knee was very quick (the good knee wasn't compared, neither was my hip which looks like where the problem is coming from and causes me pain). Exercise were recommended (which the consultant looked up on google whilst I was sat there and printed out), rather than refer me to a physio for a chronic condition, which is what I might have expected. A physio was mentioned but nothing was put in the brief letter to my GP and so I have had to pay myself to see one. My gait was assessed as "normal", presumably from the 5 metres walking behind me to the consultation room whereas according to the physio who actually assessed my gait (he even taped it to show back to me), it is very abnormal and as such the exercises downloaded from google really wouldn't address the problem that I have. I am still waiting to be sent my next appointment letter so we will see if things improve.