I had an issue that was gradually getting worse but only minor discomfort but it needed dealing with. I had put it off for too many years.
Out of interest I got a referral to the public system. It took 15 months to see a specialist. I have been pretty busy so was happy to put the procedure off until a time I was less busy.
As the date arrived I made an appointment with the private facility in the same hospital for the same day.
In the morning I went to see the private facility. Arrived 10 mins before my time. Name called at the appointed time. Doctor had a look with an endoscopy stated I would need surgery but to be sure I would need an Xray and a scan. Doctor discussed the risks of general anesthetic and the procedure etc and did a hard sell on getting it done sooner rather than waiting even longer for it to get worse. The extra tests were duly arranged for the rest of the morning (less than one hour) and a 2nd consultation arranged for 3 days later.
In the afternoon I went to the public facility. Arrived 10 mins early. Waited around 2 hours. Went in there was a doctor and 2 student doctors. Same look with an endoscope but repeated 3 times so the students could look. Doctor said I needed the exact same operation and I would be put on the waiting list. Probably around 18 months. Letter came through about a week later - 12 months.