Southampton, England - An English schoolboy is going to India for back surgery to avoid the months-long wait for treatment from the National Health Service.

Elliot Knott's mother decided to go abroad after learning private treatment in Britain would cost more than 25,000 pounds (about $45,000), the Times of London reported. In India, the cost is less than a fifth of that amount.

Elliot, who lives in Dorchester in southwestern England, was injured while skating. He suffers from spondylolisthesis, a slipped vertebra pressing on a nerve.

Southampton University Hospitals, where the family was referred, said waiting times are being cut.

Staff with the highly specialized knowledge and skills to treat Elliot and other patients with similarly complex needs are in short supply, and much of their time is taken up with emergency cases, the hospital said in a statement.

Hospital officials urged the family to get in touch with them to discuss the case before flying to India.