private patient
noun /ˌpraɪvət ˈpeɪʃnt/
/ˌpraɪvət ˈpeɪʃnt/
- (in the UK) a person who is treated by a doctor outside the National Health Service and who pays for their treatmentCulturePeople choose to be private patients because they believe they will receive better care and will not have to wait. Some private patients make regular payments to insurance companies, which then provide care when the patient needs it.