Private Healthcare

GSM
I have paid £11 a month for 4 or 5 years. Have had at least £4000 in consultations and tests. Perhaps you should read up on them before making up your mind.
I've never been refused.
I had a consultation, then gastroscopy once and had a private room tea and toast and TV afterwards until I felt OK to go home. Free with Benenden, done within a week. Would have waited much longer for NHS.

Also they offer discount on treatment you have to pay for privately.
Yes some things,aren't covered but it's wonderful for the cost.
I pay for my DD too. With NHS waiting times so long it gives some peace of mind.

I don’t see the attraction of Benenden. They’re not an insurer, and all treatment is at their discretion after you’ve been referred by your GP. No guarantee of treatment. And the really worrying conditions, cancer and heart problems, are totally excluded.

Another very satisfied Benenden customer. Private would be too expensive. Better to pay for treatment. If I was young and could afford it I would have Private insurance.

I had a quick look at Saga who seem quite good, they have a clause where if you are prepared to wait 4 weeks if you need surgery then your policy is cheaper. My experiences of the NHS are awful, I've nearly died twice in our local hospital and I am currently on waiting lists for surgery on both hands and both feet but they have informed me they are not listing elective surgery at the moment because of the back log. I need joint replacement in both CMC joints in my hands but apparently they only last 15 years - I hate to think what the situation will be like then.

Nor remotely like privatetisation, they would be funded by the state, as now, and it would be free at the point of use.

I am with Benendon, I am getting treatment at the moment.

Sounds like privatisation to me.

GSM I know the NHS is organised through trusts. I worked for british Gas in nationalise days and we had a regional structure, but I was thinking of completely independent trusts, running their region with little or no interference. With the equvalent of Ofmed, or a regulator overseeing them. All government financed with no charging.

This is the way the NHS functions, with individual regional Trusts, MOnica. It’s my belief that the formation of the Trusts was a retrograde step and things have gone downhill since then. We do have a postcode lottery, with some Trusts far more efficient than others. There is no uniformity of approach, treatment or priorities.

M0nica

I think there are very few people who do not want to save and keep the NHS, but it is straining at the seams and I am not convinced that just throwing money at it is the answer.

I thinkit is far, far too big to be run efficiently. I would break it up into separate regional healthcare businesses with complete autonomy. It would still be NHS, free at the point of use and be run by people who are financed by the state, but just like thr introduction of Mayors for very large cities and conurbations has done a lot to help those areas, especially those in the north. I think the NHS should be run regionally by managers and Health leaders who would be responsible for running health systems tuned to their region, and their region only.

This sounds good in theory but in practice wouldn't we end up with even more of a postcode lottery? Some areas would be better than others and consequently people would travel to those areas for treatment. To prevent this the whole country needs to function at the same level.

It is great value Juliet27 I agree wholeheartedly.

Dh had private health insurance until he retired - we opted not to continue, but have since paid for a few minor procedures/consultations.

I do remember, though, when he still had insurance, we were both referred by the GP for possible melanomas after living for 13 years in very hot climates.
We both saw the same consultant dermatologist, he on a private basis, me on the NHS - and I saw him sooner! (Neither suspect thing was malignant.)

Would also recommend Benenden which is £11.25 per month and works well for us. Obviously it cant cover every procedure at that price but doesnt penalise previous health problems and not a long wait fir appointments. Its a charity first started in 1800s treating tubercolosis.
Otherwise why not put the £200 pm away and use it to pay fir private care if and when you need it.

crazyH

Seriously, why would anyone pay for private health care , when we have the best health care system in the world ? We are the envy of the world.

Are you joking? We have had terrible ‘care’ from the NHS over the last few years. We now pay for private treatment as hoc as we need it. The difference is incredible.

I think there are very few people who do not want to save and keep the NHS, but it is straining at the seams and I am not convinced that just throwing money at it is the answer.

I thinkit is far, far too big to be run efficiently. I would break it up into separate regional healthcare businesses with complete autonomy. It would still be NHS, free at the point of use and be run by people who are financed by the state, but just like thr introduction of Mayors for very large cities and conurbations has done a lot to help those areas, especially those in the north. I think the NHS should be run regionally by managers and Health leaders who would be responsible for running health systems tuned to their region, and their region only.

www.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/01/1500-more-patients-of-jailed-breast-surgeon-ian-paterson-recalled

caveat emptor ?

I have BUPA but the cost is becoming astronomical so I’m going to cancel. All the scans etc., I had last year were on the NHS through the 2-week thing.

Stick with the NHS which is dedicated to providing health care to anyone in this country, free at the point of need.

Direct your political support to parties which actually believe in the NHS and do not want to line the pockets of their wealthy funders by privitisation.

I think that one way or another we will have to contribute more for the NHS. When it was created life expectancy was shorter. Since then the majority of people are living longer and as techniques improve the demand for treatment increases.

The first successful knee replacement was carried out in London in 1968. The first successful IVF treatments was in 1978 (Louise Brown). Christian Barnard's first heart transplant was in 1967 but the patient only lived for 18 days. The first successful transplant in England was in 1968 at Papworth and the patient lived for more than 5 years.

Think of all those babies in ICUs that go on to lead healthy lives. At the time the NHS was founded many babies would not have survived.

These are just a few examples of why we should pay more towards the NHS.

Talking of private medicine we had an annual travel policy for a while. My DH had myocarditis and we mentioned this. No damage was done and at the followup he was told that his heart was in excellent condition. Never the less, when we reviewed and later switched to single holiday policies his file was passed to the underwriters and the premium was increased.

We’ve been with Benenden for ages LadyGracie. For what it does cover its amazing value isn’t it.

The person I know has saved the NHS money. She wont have been the only one from her country of birth.

Though I appreciate it probably works the other way around mostly.

But as the NHS deteriorates year on year, it isnt hard to guess that others will make more use of their birth countries for health issues, in the future.

After having a recent Hip replacement, I went to my local surgery for the dressing off and review.
Practice nurse commented how beautiful the scar was, she then went on to say she recently saw a total mess of a wound of an operation done aboard, done as a Health Tourist.
Patient arrived back to UK with the advise see local Doctor or Hospital if anything goes wrong..
It went wrong the NHS had to sort, she told me it's not uncommon.

We couldn’t afford premiums for private healthcare. I just hope the NHS improves. Considering the astronomical salary she is on and the autonomy she has, how come Amanda Pritchard from NHS England is never on the telly explaining the situation and her Grand Plans? She keeps a very low profile.

Rather her relying on third world investigations than me.

She doesnt have procedures done there. She has investigations. and a top to toe health check up.

Yes 3rd world.