Health screening appointment

Ilona

Something has come through the post which has really miffed me. Bluecrest have sent me an appointment to attend their health screening session at a local hotel on a date in April. It tells me to ring to confirm a time. They sent a voucher which entitles me to five free tests if I accept their offer in the next 28 days. The cost of this is £129, which includes a discount of £141 from the original price of £270.

If I feel unwell I go to my doctor. OK, so I know the NHS is under pressure at the moment and not all illnesses are detected early, but should I be paying a commercial company to do tests? I very rarely need to see a doctor because I have no health issues, should I be taking these tests?

I think this kind of correspondence puts fear into people's minds, they think, what if there is something wrong with me. Has anyone taken up an appointment? What was the outcome? My own thoughts are, I will continue doing what I am doing, trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, and chuck this letter in the recycling bin.

Ilona

sam.4000

A similar story featured on watchdog last year. It's all about making money, they normally feature tests that are not needed or even carried out in the UK. Bin the letter and ignore, if you have any problems go to your GP.

pmduk

I get this sort of thing regularly and have no qualms about binning them, they're just spam mail nothing more

System

Ilona wrote: »

I think this kind of correspondence puts fear into people's minds, they think, what if there is something wrong with me.

This is my main objection to letters like this, regardless of which company/healthcare provider they come from.

[Deleted User]

After I was taken to A&E and diagnosed with a heart problem in 2012 I was inundated with letters offering heart tests, Bluecrest was one of the companies. I rang them to ask how they got hold of my details, but they wouldn't give me an answer.

Ilona

If people are well off enough to pay for their own healthcare then that's their business, but ordinary folks with limited income cannot do this. These health sharks plant seeds into people's minds until they wonder if they should get the checks. I know someone who would be particularly vulnerable to this type of letter, they often talk about their health problems, and it is not always clear that it is poor health, or it's in their mind.

I have binned my letter.

Ilona

Undervalued

Ilona wrote: »

If people are well off enough to pay for their own healthcare then that's their business, but ordinary folks with limited income cannot do this. These health sharks plant seeds into people's minds until they wonder if they should get the checks. I know someone who would be particularly vulnerable to this type of letter, they often talk about their health problems, and it is not always clear that it is poor health, or it's in their mind.

I have binned my letter.

Ilona

I agree that junk mail is annoying (although nothing like as bad as unsolicited phone calls IMO).

However is this really any different to say junk mail trying to sell you house insurance? That too is preying on your fears that your house may burn down!

With only limited exceptions the NHS offers little in the way of preventative medicine and concentrates more on treating problems that bother you enough to visit the doctor. There is an argument that a more proactive approach may detect some problems earlier whilst they are easier to treat successfully. Some people choose to buy services that the state doesn't provide.

I have no idea if the firm that mailed you are good or bad but, assuming they offer a professional service, should they not be allowed to advertise it?

Elizabeth_Braun

Everyone between the ages of 40 and 65 (I think) is entitled to a free health check on the NHS every 5 years (rising to annually if they consider you at more than 20% risk of cardiovascular diseases). I'm in the process of having my first.

Most members probably already know this, but just in case...

missbiggles1

Nobody's asked, which surprises me - what are the health tests for?

Angry_Andy

My reply is to describe a similar experience to jack_pott's above. I had a stroke scare late last year - my first ever - then a month later recieved a letter from Bluecrest, at the top of which was the huge banner headline 'Would you spare 10 minutes to help yourself avoid a stroke?' On the first page of this 4-page letter it then went on to mention the word 'stroke' a further 10 times. I called them this morning and asked them how they got hold of my information, the reply was 'We don't have access to your medical records' - stated BEFORE I had even made that suggestion! Why are they so defensive? Obviously I got no real answer from them apart from them saying it was a 'coincidence'. Yeah right. Something is going on here, I firmly believe that my CONFIDENTIAL medical information is being provided to a private company without my consent. I now intend to pursue this through the NHS, and I will keep you posted.

Caz3121

you do realise this post is 10 months old?