A quarter (24 per cent) also had no idea they could be seen in a private hospital as an NHS patient - for example, for operations with long waiting lists such as hip and knee replacements.
This rises to 79 per cent of people aged 65 and over, who have been particularly affected by long waits for the most common elective operations such as joint replacements, cataract removal and general surgery such as hernias.
Up to 69 per cent of those polled agree the government utilising private hospitals as a measure to drive down waiting lists is a good plan.
Little known NHS 'rule' anyone due an operation should know about A poll of 2,000 adults revealed 47 per cent have never heard of ‘patient choice’.
The research, commissioned by Practice Plus Group hospitals, which provide both NHS and private surgery, follows the publication of the government’s elective care recovery plan.
