Private it is.
I paid £10k for spinal surgery many moons ago and I never regretted it.
My scar is less than an inch long and almost invisible.
I have seen "NHS" scars on one level like mine to be 4-5 inches and thick.
Besides, I didn't have to wait and had the theatre all for me that day, so there was no rush.
I also picked the best neurosurgeon I could find, so I knew I was in safe hands.
The NHS had given me the runaround for years and said my condition was not severe enough to justify surgery: total b@llox.