NHS waiting times have been reduced in much parts of the country, the majority who have met or will meet in the coming months an 18 month waiting list target set by the government. It’s a promising step for many patients who are waiting for treatment and generally for most of the population who don’t know when they might need treatment. But despite targets being met, people seem to forget that they can expect to wait four months, which is still a long time when you are ill or in pain. Private medical insurance is still an attractive option then for those people who do not wish to wait for treatment on the NHS.

There are people though who will be willing to wait for NHS treatment and are encouraged by the new figures. But these people need not forget private medical insurance either. Cash plan private medical insurance like the policies offered by Freedom Healthnet give customers a cash lump sum to pay towards the cost of treatment. This can be spent on private health care if they so wish, but if they are happy to be looked after by the NHS they can then use the money to cover any costs incurred as a result of their illness. This is especially vital with the current financial crisis because many people struggle to pay their bills if they end up on the long-term sick from work. It can also be used to top up any treatment received on the NHS though, meaning they can still have access to new and more expensive drugs that they might have received privately.

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.