Private Healthcare

Apexilon

Hi all,

I'm hoping this is in the right arena for this - does anyone know any comparison sites for Private Healthcare? with the nubmer of horror stories I hear of experiences onthe NHS (brilliant a model as it is, poorly funded however) I believe going private is a real optino worth considering.

While there are a lot of reputable names out there (Bupa, Aviva, BMI to name a few) I however hope to save myself the time of going from one site to the other chasing quotes.

Or have I unwittingly given out a marketing idea to some dot-com dream?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Apex.

notanewuser

Apexilon wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm hoping this is in the right arena for this - does anyone know any comparison sites for Private Healthcare? with the nubmer of horror stories I hear of experiences onthe NHS (brilliant a model as it is, poorly funded however) I believe going private is a real optino worth considering.

While there are a lot of reputable names out there (Bupa, Aviva, BMI to name a few) I however hope to save myself the time of going from one site to the other chasing quotes.

Or have I unwittingly given out a marketing idea to some dot-com dream?

Thanks for your help in advance.

Apex.

The NHS is not poorly funded, it's poorly managed.

Like any insurance product it's not so much the cost comparison, it's the cover and service provided. I know Bupa are a pain with regards to haggling over how much procedures cost. We're with WPA who are not for profit. I think they're reasonably priced for the coverage provided (£50 ish per month for me plus toddler daughter, plus £70 for husband with previous medical history).

lessonlearned

I've just done this.

There are comparison sites, just google PMI and wade through.

I ended up with WPA too. I've not claimed yet obviously so cannot comment on their actual service but their rates and terms seemed fine.

£57 per month for me (aged 61) and £27 for my 26 year old son.

This includes dental cover. I was paying £28 each for us with Denplan just for dental, so a bit of a no brainer.

I'm not going to comment on the NHS except to say that I agree the issues are probably down to mismanagement in some areas and to point out that often we, the users, just expect too much from our health service.

My OH has a very serious neurological condition and has received excellent care. My elderly parents are also very well cared for too by their team. I had a friend with cancer who received every drug and treatment that is going to try and help although she did sadly die in the end.

I think our particular trust is probably one of the best, no postcode rationing of drugs here. What you need, you get.

However, I can see plainly that our hospitals are often abused though. People wired up to drips, in their pj's and slippers, snow on the ground, standing around outside the main entrance smoking.:eek: is just one of the more interesting sights I'm often met with.

People who won't assume some responsibility for their own health and well being. Grossly overweight people, who never exercise and eat crap and then demand expensive and risky gastric by-pass surgery.

Lifestyle choices that lead to diabetes, strokes and heart disease.

Visit A&E on a Friday or Saturday night and you could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped into a war zone. Drunks and druggies fighting and hurling abuse at everyone. Those medics deserve medals (and probably danger money).

We can't put all the blame on the NHS, some users need to shoulder some responsibility too.

Person_one

You do realise you'll see exactly the same consultants if you go private? Most of them do a few days in the NHS and a few days private. The nurses will have had the same training paid for by the NHS too and are generally the ones who couldn't cope with the demands and left for an easier life.

What you pay for is to jump the queue and more 'frills' like private rooms with carpets and better food.

Dogger69

Person_one wrote: »

You do realise you'll see exactly the same consultants if you go private? Most of them do a few days in the NHS and a few days private. The nurses will have had the same training paid for by the NHS too and are generally the ones who couldn't cope with the demands and left for an easier life.

What you pay for is to jump the queue and more 'frills' like private rooms with carpets and better food.

My consultant only works privately, although she used to be in the NHS. She says she cannot provide the quality of care she wants to within the NHS, and I do agree with her. I pay for time, no clock watching, I don't feel like I am on a conveyor belt.

Apexilon, do you have any particular concerns that are making you look towards private healthcare, or are you looking for a 'just in case' policy?

j.e.j.

Person_one wrote: »

You do realise you'll see exactly the same consultants if you go private? Most of them do a few days in the NHS and a few days private. The nurses will have had the same training paid for by the NHS too and are generally the ones who couldn't cope with the demands and left for an easier life.

What you pay for is to jump the queue and more 'frills' like private rooms with carpets and better food.

..not to mention not having your op cancelled 10 times because of limited resources and them having to prioritise more urgent cases!!

And being able to take the time to discuss your condition with the consultant rather than a 'member of the team' and then being rushed out the door before you can ask questions

and possibly having better aftercare.

You get what you pay for, unfortunately (for those of us who can't pay)

But anyway, I don't think the intention of the OP was to start off an nhs versus private debate. It would be interesting to see people's feedback about different private healthcare providers, who is reliable, who isn't, etc. If you don't believe in private medicine, fine, the thread's not relevant to you in that case.

notanewuser

lessonlearned wrote: »

I've just done this.

There are comparison sites, just google PMI and wade through.

I ended up with WPA too. I've not claimed yet obviously so cannot comment on their actual service but their rates and terms seemed fine.

£57 per month for me (aged 61) and £27 for my 26 year old son.

This includes dental cover. I was paying £28 each for us with Denplan just for dental, so a bit of a no brainer.

.

DH has claimed twice in the past. It was straight forward. From GP referral to operating table in 1 week. And when he woke up from the GA hungry at about 8pm it took me seconds to find a nurse who organised him a sandwich in less than 10 minutes. I was in an NHS hospital for 3 nights (maternity) and they couldn't even manage 1 vegetarian meal for me!

No haggling over the cost. DH chose which hospital to be treated at and was given time and good advice for his recovery.

The NHS botched part of my treatment and almost 3 years later they haven't done much about fixing it. Maternity related issues aren't covered by the PMI but even so I'm thinking of getting it sorted privately. I bet it could be done and dusted within a month!

Person_one

j.e.j. wrote: »

But anyway, I don't think the intention of the OP was to start off an nhs versus private debate. It would be interesting to see people's feedback about different private healthcare providers, who is reliable, who isn't, etc. If you don't believe in private medicine, fine, the thread's not relevant to you in that case.

Well I can tell when I'm not welcome! :rotfl:

A lot of the stuff you mentioned is covered by 'jumping the queue'.

Its always worth mentioning that the consultants are usually the same ones and the nurses have exactly the same training, many people don't actually realise, surprisingly.

Also, if there are any complications beyond very easily sorted ones you will be transported to an NHS hospital. This is an added risk people have to factor in. When I worked on ICU we cared for a number of people who had their ops privately but then needed to be blue lighted to us while critically ill, which is a highly dangerous journey.

Its important to know the againsts, as well as the fors, imo.

j.e.j.

Person_one wrote: »

Well I can tell when I'm not welcome! :rotfl:

Awwww

Its always worth mentioning that the consultants are usually the same ones and the nurses have exactly the same training, many people don't actually realise, surprisingly.

I like the nhs consultants. You just never get to bl00dy see them :rotfl:

lessonlearned

j.e.j. wrote: »

Awwww


I like the nhs consultants. You just never get to bl00dy see them :rotfl:

2006 my husband became ill.

We used our PMI to "queue jump" to see the neurologist - 2 week wait. NHS waiting time 11 weeks - for an "urgent" appt - same neurologist. By the time he was seen ie within the 2 weeks he was sleeping 16 hours a day and becoming more and more "dopey" even when awake.

11 weeks - he would have been in a coma or dead......

When I say "queue jump" I merely mean we got to see the neuro more quickly. We did not see him ahead of anyone else, depriving them of their appointment because we saw him in one of his evening surgeries in a Nuffield Hospital.

Like most NHS consultants who undertake private work, he has entirely separate clinics in several different hospitals.

At the time we were with Norwich Union. They were great - no quibbling. Problem is as I've got older their premiums are just too prohibitive for me, hence I'm trying WPA.

Anyway notanethewiser . Thanks for the heads up on claims under WPA. Very reassuring. Glad to hear all went well.

Person One - I was not for one moment criticising the NHS. I have nothing but praise for our UK healthcare system. I still believe it to be the envy of the world. And I have great admiration and respect for our medics.

When it comes to complicated and emergency treatment, research etc it truly cannot be faulted. However, I do think that for relatively simple "elective procedures" - the ones with the long waiting lists - then PMI has a very real role to play.

In our case we were both self employed. If we were too ill to work then we didn't get paid. PMI was not a luxury for us, it was a necessity.

Sadly as it turns out my OH's condition is both incurable and degenerative, and he is now in a nursing home.

He is about to commence a drug trial - a drug of last resort..... The first month will be free. If it helps him a little and we wish to continue I will have to fund it.

I'm not complaining about this, just stating the facts.

The NHS, is in my opinion, stretched to breaking point. It cannot fund everything - and I genuinely believe that sooner or later something will have to give. Both funding and management issues need to be addressed as a matter of urgency but no-one seems prepared to grasp that particular nettle.

In the meantime - for those who can afford it - PMI plugs the gaps.

I am not rich by any means, however, I consider £57 per month invested in my health needs to be a good use of my money.

Cooper18

Just be aware that you can't "jump the queue" in a department that doesn't have a private healthcare component - so my patients pay to see their private consultant, he refers them to my department and they join the back of the queue. We then do what we need with them, they pay for the privilege, and we send the results back to the original consultant.

If you can afford it, I'd take out the insurance. What is more important than your health?