May 28th, 2010
A major reorganisation of the NHS has been confirmed by the government today. Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs), which act as regional boards in deciding where budgets are allocated and plan provision of healthcare by local NHS Trusts, will be downgraded in the plans. A new independent board will now take on the majority of the 10 SHAs’ roles as well as incorporating some of the responsibilities of the Department of Health. It will operate through the regional offices and report to the Chief Executive. The move is designed to separate the SHAs roles as commissioner and provider of healthcare and will continue to be involved in the financial management of health services. The Liberal Democrats had planned to abolish SHAs altogether in their election manifesto, saying they were the least effective part of the NHS.
Local GPs will also be given more responsibility in determining healthcare as part of this restructuring, after the government has arranged a meeting with the British Medical Association to discuss how this will be implemented. Despite having to find between £15 billion and £20 billion of savings in the health service by 2014, the government has also promised that the budget will continue to rise over the whole period of this parliament. Karen Jennings, head of health at Unison, told the BBC: “SHAs play a vital role in making sure that there are no shortfalls or gaps in healthcare provision across a region and nationally and in overseeing standard.” Some people may be concerned that this standard could fall and may decide to get a quote for private health insurance as an alternative.
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May 27th, 2010
Expensive cancer drugs could be made available on the NHS if new Prime Minister David Cameron manages to put through one of his election proposals. Last month, the Conservative said that up to £1 billion of extra funding could be made available for more expensive cancer treatments which are currently only available in private hospitals. He said that by not increasing National Insurance, the NHS could save up to £200 million a year, which would be allocated to cancer treatments like Herceptin. The proposals were welcomed by cancer charities and will be waiting to hear whether it will still be included among policies for the coalition government. A Conservative spokesperson said: “We reject the notion that the public should have to take out private medical insurance to get access to the best cancer drugs.”
It is not only cancer drugs which people purchase private health cover to help pay for though. Other services and new medicines are often not available if they are expensive and people who cannot afford to pay for the outright cost may find that the small monthly premiums of a cash plan private medical insurance policy may be a more cost effective way of topping up their NHS care. New rules on NHS top-ups, which allow patients to pay the added cost of upgrading their healthcare, rather than footing the bill for the whole cost of the treatment have meant cheaper forms of private medical insurance like cash plans have become an ideal solution.
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May 26th, 2010
Private medical insurance companies have expressed concerns over a new test for cancer, despite scientists’ claims that it could revolutionise the treatment of the disease. Cancer tumour genomic analysis, or Oncotype DX as it is more commonly known, is a form of gene profiling which can determine whether patients should receive chemotherapy or not. Although it is widely used across the United States, private medical insurance companies in the UK as well as the NHS have not favoured it over traditional diagnostics as of yet, stating it needs to prove it is better than current methods. A lot of private medical insurance policies do not include cancer care within their benefits at the moment, but experts believe it could cut the cost of treating the disease and may mean it could be included in the future.
The test is potentially cost effective for insurers and the NHS because it can help them to avoid over-treatment as well as to provide more targeted treatments than they can currently. Genomic Health, who developed the diagnostic, says that it can change the initial treatment of cancer in almost a third of cases. However, private health insurers remain wary of the savings this will bring in real terms to often costly price of treating cancer and want more evidence before they offer it to their customers. In the past, people have taken out private health cover because they want to have access to drugs which are not readily available on the NHS, in particular revolutionary cancer drugs such as Herceptin.
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May 24th, 2010
Patients are getting stressed as they wait to be given their diagnosis according to one of the latest studies. Almost nine out of ten people who took part in the ‘Delayed Diagnosis’ study for Aviva, said that waiting to find out what is wrong with them can cause them more stress whilst they are ill. This has also meant that people are turning to self-diagnosis for their health problems which can cause even more worry. Over half of people in the study admitted to looking on the internet to find out what their illness is, and a third of people have been left worried after asking family and friends for advice. Private medical insurance could be a good option for these people, as they could expect a quicker diagnosis than on the NHS and the unnecessary worry could be eliminated.
NHS waiting lists have been a concern for many people for a long time, and have been stated as one of the top reasons for why people opt for private medical insurance. This latest research has found that it is still a worry for patients, despite some figures showing that waiting lists have reduced. Almost nine out of ten people (86%) said they think NHS waiting lists are too long and almost half named being able to get a prognosis quickly as one of the main benefits of having a private medical insurance policy. Being ill can be stressful enough on its own, despite having to wait often lengthy periods of time without knowing what is wrong, so it is no wonder millions of people in the UK begin to look for an alternative.
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May 12th, 2010
Private medical insurance provider PruHealth has announced this week it is buying out its competitor Standard Life’s Healthcare branch. Standard Life is the fourth largest provider of private health cover in the UK, and the purchase of the company by Discovery – who joint own PruHealth with Prudential – means that they will cover more than 700,000 people across the country. The two companies currently offer different advantages in their private medical insurance policies and they have said the joining of the two will mean a wide variety of policies for their customers. The deal is not expected to go through until the end of July though, and the two companies are expected to continue working as rivals in the private health insurance market until it is confirmed.
Spokesperson Herschel Mayers for PruHealth and PruProtect said: “These are indeed exciting times for the UK PMI market – the NHS has performed well recently whilst benefitting from unprecedented levels of funding. Increased pressure to curb the current levels of public spending is likely to create significant opportunities for growth.” All areas of the private health insurance market have been growing in recent years, in particular the cash plan sector as people increasingly look to save as much money as they can on their expenditures. Cash plan providers like Freedom Healthnet have seen an increased demand, with 2008 being a record year for the number of people being covered by one of the most cost effective and affordable types of private medical insurance policies available.
Tags: private health insurance news
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May 10th, 2010
Patients seeking out of hours care on the NHS are now more likely to be seen by a lower qualified member of staff in some Trusts across the country. An investigation carried out by ‘The Daily Mail’ found that more nurses were working overnight than doctors in four NHS Trusts said to because they are cheaper to employ. In one area, one doctor was responsible for looking after around 330,000 patients. Out of hours care has been troublesome for the NHS, particularly since the reform brought about by the Labour Party in 2004. GPs were given the option as to whether they would rather provide care at evenings or weekends or take a £6,000 pay cut. The vast majority chose the latter and the service has been heavily criticised since because of the hiring of many doctors from overseas who aren’t familiar with the patients. Following the high profile case where one patient died in the care of an out of hours GP, many people may have been tempted to get a quote for private medical insurance to give themselves extra peace of mind.
Funding for out of hours services was also cut by more than twenty percent of NHS Trusts at the beginning of April this year. This could be a further worry to some patients who are already concerned that the level of care at evenings and weekends is stretched, as shown by these latest figures about overnight staffing. Private medical insurance could become a more attractive alternative by providing affordable access to private facilities where budgets and funding are less of a restriction on services. The NHS has defended their nurses, stating they can prescribe more drugs than previously and are trained to a high standard but a huge variation between Trust’s spending on out of hours provision could still mean people would like to guarantee their level of care with
Tags: health news, Private Health Insurance, private health insurance quote
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May 10th, 2010
Private patients should be able to jump the queues on NHS waiting lists, according to the participants of one of the latest surveys. A poll of readers of ‘Health Insurance and Protection Magazine’ found that over three quarters of people believe that a person who has already got a referral from a private consultant should be able to join an NHS waiting list higher up than someone who hasn’t already had a referral on the NHS. It follows the high profile case of a woman with a back problem who had already received a private diagnosis, but was then told to have NHS treatment she must get another referral and join the back of the waiting list. Experts have now said that there should be more of a private sector involvement in the NHS to avoid some confusion and to allow people to have added peace of mind if they should so choose it. The top-up system has been one step to integrate some of this.
Other people have said that private patients, including private health insurance policy holders, should have the same rights as NHS patients if they decide to opt for the free healthcare in the end as they contribute as taxpayers as well. However, if patients are increasingly having similar problems with integrating back into the health service after seeking a private diagnosis, NHS top ups may seem like an attractive option. These mean that NHS treatments can be upgraded if the patient so wishes, but at an extra cost to them. Cash plan private medical insurance is ideal for this situation as it is one of the cheapest type of policies available and is perfect for supplementing the NHS.
Tags: private hospitals
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May 1st, 2010
An NHS hospital in the UK has come under criticism twice in the same week because of concerns over its hygiene standards. On Wednesday this week, the family of an elderly woman have complained about the level of care she received in Luton and Dunstable Hospital, after she was found lying in her own faeces and dehydrated. An E.coli outbreak in 2008 where two babies died is also the source of further criticism for the healthcare centre, as some parents are now suing the NHS hospital. A report says that the infection was probably caused by a lack of cleaning, including staff not washing their hands properly. A spokesman for the hospital has told the ‘Daily Mail’ that in some emergency situations a choice has to be made whether to follow hand washing regulations or to use the extra few seconds to help an ill youngster. It is these sorts of case studies however that might encourage some people to take out a quote for private medical insurance.
Cleanliness in NHS hospitals has long been one of the most common reasons why people have opted for private health insurance in order to gain access to private hospitals where the incidences of superbugs and hospital acquired infections are lower. Although measures have been taken in the past few years to significantly reduce the numbers of people getting infections like MRSA, some people may still like to have the added peace of mind that a private medical insurance policy provides. This does not only apply to hygiene levels either. We never know when we are likely to fall ill, but if we do, it is reassuring to know that you will be able to be treated in the shortest time possible and in a hospital that is the most convenient to you. This can all be gained by taking out private medical insurance as a way of having access to private healthcare with an affordable premium.
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