Private Healthcare

Forgot to say that the hospital at benenden also has accommodation for patients and visitors to use if required.

It's very easy to Google and get info.
www.benenden.co.uk/hospitals/

But even with the NHS many have to travel long distances for treatment.
However I think the main benefit of Benenden is that you can get a diagnosis much quicker than with the NHS, which you can take back to your doctor and therefore cut the waiting time for treatment. Or get peace of mind much quicker, if you have symptoms that could indicate something serious.
It's really worth paying for.
Monthly cost is rising to just over £13 in March, which is understandable. Waiting time has increased slightly, also understandable. But waiting 2-3 weeks is much better than a year or more which is pretty standard now in NHS.

Like Grantanow, we were with CS Healthcare for years and are now with BUPA on an 80/20 basis which has served us well. Over the years DH had surgery for prostate cancer and then a hernia and cataracts, I have had two new knees and cataracts done. I keep up the premiums because I will at some point need at least one new hip. I think we all choose how we spend our money and private healthcare is my big extravagance.

When you ask for a referral to a consultant you are normally given a choice of three in your location to ring and book with. You have an authorisation number and this is given to the one you choose and they are paid by Benenden. You are allowed to spend up to £1800 for each referral.
There are limits on referrals. You can't have two at the same time. However every insurance/plan comes with limits.
I recommend people who are interested read the information on the website thoroughly or ring Benenden, before deciding.

nadateturbe

LOUISA the NHS is wonderful. I couldn't fault the treatment or the staff. The doctors we see privately often work with the NHS as well.
The only problem is accessing it.
My OH has an opthalmology appointment in 4 weeks paid by Benenden. . He has been on the NHS waiting list since June 2022. We rang the NHS department to check the waiting time before booking Benenden and a recorded message said We aren't answering queries about waiting times. They are obviously getting too many calls.
I had a head injury one year ago. My follow up was a telephone call yesterday.
No wonder people are choosing private.

My NHS cardiology wouldn't give me any idea about the waiting time either. I know this must be difficult for them, but if people definitely knew it was going to be six months, or a year before they got to the top of the list, then they would be confident in spending the money privately. Thereby reducing the waiting list.

It was the thought that I could spend a lot of money on a private appointment, and then the NHS appointment arrive the next week that was a bit annoying.

Yes, it seems a bad idea wildswan.
Perhaps they are hoping that lots of people will just go ahead with private appointments. Or perhaps right now, they just have very little idea.

For those with the means why not put away what bupa etc would charge and use that towards any treatment (or not, if you stay well.).
We can afford £11 but not £hundreds, and are very happy to have benenden. Horses 🐎 for courses.
They do many operations We have had a few over the years and always been satisfied.

Being ignorant of both private health care and Beneden[never heard of it], and having googled but couldnt find an answer, am I right in thinking that if you live nowhere near Yorkshire, that Beneden is not for you?

We've got private here in Spain, but now the wait for appointments is almost as long as health service. It's expensive and you have to pay for meds. Sometimes we can get a diagnosis from a private doctor, take it to the state doctor and get meds on prescription. We do talk about stopping every now and then but 4 months for a gynae is better than 9.

You can belong to Benenden wherever you live. Their main hospital is in the south east and their Head Office is York.
It was originally ( mid 1800s) a hospital for post office workers with TB, then membership only open to public servants and now open to all.

GrannySomerset

Like Grantanow, we were with CS Healthcare for years and are now with BUPA on an 80/20 basis which has served us well. Over the years DH had surgery for prostate cancer and then a hernia and cataracts, I have had two new knees and cataracts done. I keep up the premiums because I will at some point need at least one new hip. I think we all choose how we spend our money and private healthcare is my big extravagance.

That's good to know GrannySomerset. I shall continue with BUPA. If at some future time I can't afford the subs I shall move to Benenden about which I hear good reports. I live in Somerset too!

all Insurance companies are money makers and health insurance companies are no exception.
I have paid house insurance for sixty years and the only occasion I made a claim it was not covered the same with Anglian Water.
Never paid insurance for my pets.

Most older people here in Australia have private health cover. It costs a rocket but the alternative is long, long waiting lists. The standard of care is no better which is just as it should be. God forbid there would be lower quality medical staff if you don’t pay !

Had I had private health care since young that would be fine, but to embark on it now cost would be astronomical. My DD had private heakth care and her cancer treatment and care were lst class but alas, unsuccessful. Both my DS also have private health insurance for all their family but taken out 20 years ago.

Benenden is a not-for-profit organisation.

I have so many health conditions private care would be too expensive so I'm going to vote for a party that will fund the NHS better so private is less necessary. Tories didn't want the NHS but Labour & Nye Bevan persisted and eventually got it set up. The thing the Tories don't like is that it is run on socialist principles, we get the treatment we need regardless of cost, and Tories don't like paying the extra that covers someone else's health care, they only want to pay for their own. I don't want to live in a country like that and am happy to pay for universal health care

The nice thing about benenden is that everyone pays the same whatever health issues anyone brings, though think you can’t join over 70. Understandable of course.
We are talking about the cost of a cup of coffee a week, hardly a fortune.

I have on the whole been very satisfied with Benenden and consider it to be good value for money. The only problem I had was hitting their limit for heart investigations, they were not happy with the number that I was having. Ironically I was transferred to the local NH hospital where they seem to have given up on finding out what was causing problems, so really it was six of one and half a dozen of the other!

However I was treated at my local private hospital for three different health problems and have no complaints. In fact having been discharged on a Friday, I had problems with my eye,having had a cataract operation, and was told to return to the hospital where the surgeon, who lived in another town, would meet me. He changed my eye drops and everything was sorted within a couple of hours of ringing. My experience of The National health hospital was that it was very rare to see doctors at the weekend when you were an inpatient, unless it was a dire emergency,

We have had Private Health for many years and still do but use a company ipmi every year to search for best deal available for us and it so far has worked out cheaper.

Check out Benenden Healthcare. It is not as comprehensive as BUPA and suchlike, but will consider treatment of a large variety of conditions, even pre-existing ones if the NHS waiting time is over six weeks. It is also a lot cheaper than the big companies - £12.50 monthly. My husband has had his cataract done within a couple of weeks of requesting it. They also have 24 hour medical phone advice which is great if you are having trouble getting a GP appointment, if only to put your mind at rest. You need to be a member for 6 months before qualifying for treatment.

I definitely think that we do not have the best healthcare system in the world and neither do I agree it's the envy of any developed country. I do think that if people choose to spend their money on private healthcare then good for them. I'm with BUPA and the difference between that and NHS care is phenomenal. I'm happy to do without some things to be able to afford speedy treatment in clean, comfortable surroundings where I'm treated with privacy and respect which is the opposite to what I've seen on numerous occasions when visiting others in hospital. The NHS used to be great but not any more.

I have cancelled my BUPA insurance. The premium this year would have been over £8,000 (I am78). I prefer to set that money aside and pay for private treatment, if needed. In the last few months I have been successfully treated on the nhs and paid privately for MRI for DH as waiting list was very long.

silverlining48

You can belong to Benenden wherever you live. Their main hospital is in the south east and their Head Office is York.
It was originally ( mid 1800s) a hospital for post office workers with TB, then membership only open to public servants and now open to all.

Thank you

knspol

I definitely think that we do not have the best healthcare system in the world and neither do I agree it's the envy of any developed country. I do think that if people choose to spend their money on private healthcare then good for them. I'm with BUPA and the difference between that and NHS care is phenomenal. I'm happy to do without some things to be able to afford speedy treatment in clean, comfortable surroundings where I'm treated with privacy and respect which is the opposite to what I've seen on numerous occasions when visiting others in hospital. The NHS used to be great but not any more.

Agreed.

Certainly a broken system now, not the envy of other countries.

People need to do what they need to do. If insurance works for a person then that's a good alternative to source care.

Some very sensible posts.
Teel that definitely makes more sense.
Lexigranny I'm sorry about the lack of diagnosis. Very frustrating and disappointing.
And I think you're right about seeing doctors at weekends. My mum broke her wrist on a Friday and was kept in hospital until Monday to get it fixed. And this was about 12 years ago.
I'm with Spabbygirl we need a government that cares. Everyone should be looked after equally without having to go private. The private sector is expanding rapidly.