NHS Trusts in Norfolk and Waveney had to bring in the help of a number of outside experts including private medical insurance companies to improve their services. Lawyers and management advisers joined Bupa in helping to develop the services, but at a cost of over £1 million which could have been spent on treatment or facilities for patients. It’s just another concern for people who have considered getting a quote for private medical insurance as vital funds are being spent in areas that other trusts can manage on their own.


Health bosses have defended the decision to spend huge amounts of money on outside services, saying that it was in the attempt to improve patient services. But local MP Ian Gibson said they should take responsibility. He told the Norwich Evening News, “They should be spending much more money on care and attention to patients. Their whole approach is passing the buck to someone else all the time. They should do the work and see the problems themselves.” Money is obviously on a tight budget for the Health Service and many people are concerned that other facilities could have missed out on vital funding because of this. People may be more inclined to directly visit the private health care providers whose expert knowledge was needed by the NHS in Norfolk to advise on improvements by taking out a private medical insurance policy to give them affordable access to these high quality services.