Many people in managerial positions have health insurance as part of their remuneration package, others (like me when first ill) just pay out of their own pocket to see a doctor without having to wait. Or you can pay for an insurance policy yourself , usually on a monthly basis, but they are reluctant to cover existing conditions. The problem is that your treatment must be wholly NHS financed or privately financed. You are not allowed to mix the two even though the same doctor and even the same hospital may be involved. This is supposed to prevent the situation arising of two people in adjacent beds receiving different standards of treatment.

If for some reason the NHS system is unable to offer the treatment you require, the system will pay for you to be seen in a private hospital even if it is in France!