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.

The Liberal Democrats have become increasingly popular in the UK, especially since the MP’s expenses scandal last year and has gained percentage points in recent polls in the run up to the general election. In the increasing likelihood of a hung parliament next month, Nick Clegg and his party will have a vital contribution to the running of the future government and their policies have come to the forefront of attention. In the final part of Freedom Healthnet’s election special, we look at the UK’s third party’s ideas for the NHS and the impact they could have on the private health insurance industry if their influence in Parliament grows.


The NHS budget could be under threat if the Lib Dem’s get their way. The party’s manifesto does not guarantee the future of the health services funding in a bid to cut the expenditure of the government. All political parties will be looking to save money where they can to help pay off the huge debt the country is now in, and Nick Clegg is planning to source some of this from the health budget. The Department of Health could be cut in half to make some of these efficiency savings. Some people may be worried that this could mean the quality of care could suffer as a result of this, and may take out a quote for private medical insurance to give themselves extra peace of mind.


Other proposed savings would come from a reorganisation of the structure of the NHS. Strategic health authorities would be scrapped, and giving the power to plan health services to elected local health boards. The Lib Dem’s answer for the controversial provision of out of hours GP care would be to give a greater role back to GPs in providing the service. It would mean some local doctors would have to be involved. This could be in response to concerns that some agency GPs have not been providing a high level of care, as seen high profile cases recently where patients have died and may have meant some people have opted for private health insurance to have affordable access to private doctors.

As various election campaigns get into full swing across the country with only weeks left until polling day on May 6th, Freedom Healthnet continues its special look at the party’s proposals for healthcare provisions. The NHS is a long standing and vital issue for the vying politicians and their plans for its future not only have an effect upon the state of free healthcare itself, but also for the private sector. Today, we look at the Conservative party’s manifesto and the impacts it could have if they win the general election.


GP opening hours is a continuing issue, despite the reform brought about in 2004 and it has not escaped the Conservatives plans for the NHS. Similarly to Labour, they promise access to GP care twelve hours a day, seven days a week for every person in the UK. But Cameron’s plans say that GPs themselves would be responsible for deciding how the services will be provided which means that contracts will have to be negotiated again. Six years ago, GPs opted out of out of hours care in favour of a pay cut and meant that doctors were brought in to cover the service. The Chairman of BMA Council, Dr Hamish Meldrum told the BBC: "The idea of being able to see a GP from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week is bound to be popular, and patients deserve good access to GP services, but this shouldn't come at the expense of the quality of a patient's overall care, which is at risk if services become fragmented.” If the level of care does drop, people could be tempted to get a quote for private medical insurance.


Other healthcare proposals from the Tories include ruling out the planned closure of some Accident and Emergency and maternity departments in certain hospitals. While this seems to be a popular policy, critics have said that some of these closures are needed and without them patient safety and quality of their healthcare could be at risk. Private health insurance could then become a more attractive option for increasing numbers of people if they wish to gain affordable access to private hospitals where some of the highest quality healthcare in the UK is on offer.

Politicians across the UK have been launching their election manifestos this week ahead of the general election on May 6th. Unsurprisingly, the NHS has come to the forefront of debate so Freedom Healthnet is taking a look at each of the main party’s visions for the health care of the future and the likely impact of this on private medical insurance.


The Labour Party

Primary care trusts are one of the main priorities for the Labour Party’s plans for the NHS. They are already established in much of England, but Gordon Brown wants every hospital to become one by 2015. This has been extended to previous targets and would mean a further 93 hospitals would have more control over how they are run. Critics have said this is a risky move though and could cause problems for the running of the hospital while the management changes hands. If a hospital’s services are not running to the highest quality they can be during a period of time, it could mean that people are tempted to get a quote for private health insurance to ensure that they will always have access to the highest quality of care possible should they become ill.


Gordon Brown has also set out his commitment to greater access to out of hours GP care. People can currently see a doctor at evenings and weekends in at least one health centre in every area of England, or at least will be able to at a shortly opening clinic. Out of hours GP care has been problematic for the NHS since it was reformed in 2004 and most doctors opted out of working the longer hours in favour of a pay cut. Tragic cases where people have suffered as a result have since been publicised and could have been a reason for people to take out a private medical insurance policy and gain affordable access to private sector GPs.

Premiums for private medical insurance could end up being up to twenty percent lower following a new ruling from the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC). At the end of last month, the Commission told the British Medical Association (BMA) that it could no longer publish guidelines on the fees that consultants can charge for private work. The corporate affairs minister, Neil Hamilton, told the Independent that this has meant that doctors have been able “to charge higher fees than would otherwise be possible”. With this now eliminated, the cost of private health care could be reduced and private health insurers will then be able to pass on the savings to their customers and this could mean that more people decide to take out a quote for private health cover in the future.


At the minute, Bupa is still allowed to publish a list of the maximum fees they charge for each procedure and some people have called for this to be stopped as well. The MMC say they are allowing it to continue because it has a ‘restraining effect on consultants’ charges,’ despite thei research showing that 70 percent of the market is influenced by Bupa and other insurers. If Bupa are included in these new rules, it’s been predicted it could speed up the savings to private medical insurance policy holders. Now these rules have been brought in, it seems likely that the next step will be for private consultants to advertise their prices to family doctors and increased competition could bring down costs even more. Private health insurance companies like Freedom Healthnet already look for ways to save their customers money on their premiums. One way in which Freedom Healthnet does this is by giving a cash lump sum to patients. By being in a position to pay up front for treatment, the cost of the treatment will be lower and savings can be passed on to other policy holders.

Cleanliness of NHS hospitals has taken a back seat when it comes to the public’s concerns about the NHS. A new survey carried out by You Gov on behalf of The Sun has revealed that significantly more people named putting targets ahead of patient care and postcode rationing of drugs as bigger problems in the health service than cleanliness of wards. These concerns were also backed up when the 1,747 adults who took part in the study were posed with the statement “The Government’s introduction of targets for GPs and hospitals means more effort is concentrated on targets than patient care”. Over three quarters said they either strongly agreed, or tend to agree. As MRSA rates in hospitals have reduced recently, these new concerns may be encouraging more people to take out a quote for private medical insurance than issues that have been hitting the headlines for longer.


Other issues may be more of an annoyance to those people that have witnessed or experienced problems with the NHS first hand rather than hearing about them in the media. Almost half of the people (47 percent) who took part in the You Gov survey said they had been subject to unreasonable hospital charges. Cash plan private medical insurance could provide a solution to managing some of these charges. The NHS has begun to charge people if they wish to top up their treatment to a more expensive version and cash plan policies are ideal for this sort of situation. As they pay out a lump sum to help cover the cost of treatment, it gives the patient the option as to whether they would like to be treated in a private hospital, abroad or to help cover some of these charges in a NHS clinic.

NHS patients have been treated in places like mop cupboards because there was no space left on a ward. That’s according to a survey of 900 nurses printed in the Nursing Times this month. Almost two-thirds of those who took part said they had experienced patients being treated in an area that hadn’t been specifically designated for treatment. Among the places named in the survey that were used when wards were full were kitchens and storerooms as well as mop cupboards and the majority of those nurses who were surveyed recognised that this could have caused added risk to patients. It is reports like these that show the strain the NHS is under that may encourage some people to get a quote for private medical insurance to gain access to a private hospital should they become ill, where demand is much less and quality of care is generally higher.


The Royal College of Nursing has expressed their concerns over these findings, whilst they recognise that in some instances it may be necessary to use non-clinical areas for treatment. Spokesperson, Janet Davies, told the BBC, "As pressures inside the NHS start to rise due to budget cutbacks, it is vital that nurses and other healthcare staff are confident that their concerns over failures in patient care will be heard." These pressures are becoming a concern for some people who decide to take out a private medical insurance policy to give themselves extra peace of mind. The Patient’s Association have also added their criticism to the findings of this study. Katherine Murphy, from the group also spoke to the BBC. "This is completely unacceptable. Yet again, this survey highlights the gap between rhetoric and reality in the NHS lottery of care."

Doctors have been adding their criticism to a controversial new NHS database that will hold digital patient records. The British Medical Association has now written a letter to the Health Secretary Andy Burnham to express their views on the proposed Summary Care Record System. The group says that while they agree to the ideas behind the new database, they are worried about certain aspects of it. Dr Grant Ingrams, a member of the BMA told ‘the Guardian’ that he thinks patient’s rights are not being respected. "It is about allowing patients to decide what information about them is used. This is information that belongs to them and may include embarrassing information," he said.


The new system has been criticised for many reasons. One is that it works upon the basis of assumed consent, which means that people who do not agree to their details being kept on such a record have to opt out of the scheme. Otherwise, the NHS will presume that you don’t mind being on this database. The health service claim that the system will help to improve the level of care that a patient receives if they visit a hospital or if they access out of hours services by allowing doctors and other nursing staff to see information that is normally only held by GPs. To begin with the Summary Care Records will only have basic information but with time the NHS intend to put most of a patient’s medical records on them. People who don’t like the idea of this system may wish to find an alternative to the NHS altogether, particularly if they wish to bypass waiting lists as well, and take out a quote for private medical insurance.

The rising numbers of people suffering from obesity in the UK could lead to an increase in the number of people getting a quote for private medical insurance. That’s according to the website quoteboffin.co.uk, who believe that the pressure of obesity related illnesses on the NHS will cause waiting lists to grow and persuade more people to find an alternative to staying in lengthy queues. A spokesperson for quoteboffin.co.uk said, “With rising levels of obesity adding months, if not years, to already overcrowded waiting lists it’s no wonder that more consumers will begin turning their attention to private health cover in order to guarantee prompt and professional medical treatment.
Waiting lists can be especially frustrating for those who have strived to live a healthy lifestyle but could still find themselves at the end of a very long queue. Health insurance removes the unknown by guaranteeing peace of mind and first class medical care in equal measure.”


Obesity is already costing the health service £2.6 billion a year to treat the many illnesses that can come about as a result of being overweight, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Despite government campaigns to try and reduce the number of people affected by the condition, experts still predict that the proportion of the population who are classed as obese will continue to rise by as much as 10 percent every decade. The budget for the NHS is already somewhat restrictive and this could be stretched even further into the future, especially if the government cannot keep up with the increased funding that it has provided over the past few years. It is these sorts of figures that could encourage a person to look into private medical insurance as an affordable way of gaining access to private healthcare if the quality of treatment or the waiting times suffer as a result.

The numbers of people who may take out private medical insurance could significantly increase over the next few years if the patterns noted by one study are correct. Gavin Wallis, in his 2003 report ‘The Determinants of Demand for Private Medical Insurance: Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey’ found that when government spending on public health care increased around the turn of the new millennium, the number of people who had a private medical insurance policy reduced. As the NHS budget looks increasingly likely to be cut over the coming years, it might seem logical then that the number of people who have private health cover could increase. This could be because they may be concerned that the level of care on offer could become limited or they may wish to be covered in case they wish to top up their NHS treatment.


The amount of government spending on healthcare is described as having a ‘lag’ effect on the number of people taking out private medical insurance. This is because of the effect of funding on the length of time people have to wait for treatment and there is evidence to suggest that the longer the waiting lists for NHS care, the more likely people are to opt for private health cover. Waiting times are one of the main reasons why people take a quote for private medical insurance as private hospitals can provide a much quicker referral to see a consultant and for any operation that they may recommend. When people become ill, the majority wish to recover in the shortest time possible and so if budget cuts are made to the NHS in the near future and waiting times increase, a quote for private health insurance could become an attractive option for an even larger proportion of the population in the UK.

Healthcare debates in the Commons are likely to step up a level after a new report has been published this month on the challenges facing the NHS. The research, which was carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit, discusses the main issues facing the health service and makes recommendations for improvements. The NHS is already a major policy area for political parties, even more so as the general election draws closer and MPs will be looking at how they can solve the problems defined in the report if they are a part of the successful government later this year. The main issues identified by the EIU were budget cuts, the quality of social care provisions and increasing waiting times for treatment. Long waiting lists are one of the most common reasons why people decide to get a quote for private medical insurance and consider an alternative to the NHS.


The report – ‘Doing more with less – Britain’s healthcare funding challenges’ deals with concerns about the almost inevitable cut in government funding for the NHS as politicians try to pay back some of the record amount of debt that the UK now has. It may not be that the NHS has a reduction in funding, but indeed it is unlikely that the huge increases in budget that it has received over the past few years will continue. Among the recommendations made by the study were to increase the role of the private sector in healthcare provision, including a better partnership between the two parts of the healthcare system. This could mean a greater number of people will opt to top up their NHS treatment by paying for the extra cost themselves or via a private medical insurance policy. Industry experts have also called for a tax break for people with private health cover to be considered by the next government.

Complaints from patients about NHS GPs have rocketed in the past year. Nearly 40,000 people weren’t happy with the service in the last 12 months, which is an increase of 12 percent. The rise in the number of complaints has coincided with the controversial change in out of hours care brought about back in 2004 which has come under fire a number of times since. The changes meant that Primary Care Trusts are now in control of the provision of GP health services in the evenings and at weekends rather than GPs themselves and gave physicians the choice to opt out of working the extra hours in favour of a £6,000 pay cut. The majority chose the wage drop and the NHS has been criticised since for mistakes made by out of hours doctors. This large number of complaints may signal a rise in the number of people taking out quotes for private medical insurance to gain access to private healthcare services.


The figures, which have been released by the NHS Information centre, show that the category which received the largest amount of complaints was clinical care. Almost 15,000 cases were reported where such instances as failure to refer a patient correctly to a consultant occurred. It is this sort of experience that may encourage people to look for an alternative to NHS treatment such as private health care to help avoid these errors. Private hospitals are much less busy and under less pressure than their NHS counterparts which reduces the chance that mistakes will be made and a higher quality of care to be possible. Private health insurance is a more affordable way of catering for private treatment, rather than forking out for the often large one off bills.

Back pain sufferers and other patients with musculoskeletal complaints may be persuaded to take out a quote for private health insurance after it was revealed that over half of patients have to wait over six weeks for physiotherapy on the NHS. An investigation carried out by Health Insurance and Protection magazine has found that only forty percent of the 126 out of 152 primary care trusts that were included in the study had waiting times of less than six weeks. That’s despite the fact that patients with back pain have a much higher likelihood of returning to work if they are treated within a four to six week time bracket. Employers may find that they prefer to cover their staff with corporate private health insurance if it means that they can beat the queues and return to work in a shorter period of time. Some sufferers face waits of over eighteen weeks in nine primary care trusts across the UK.


Occupational health treatments are not covered by all private health insurance policies so it is important to check the list of benefits of each provider and level of cover whilst comparing policies. Freedom Healthnet offers physiotherapy on all levels of its private health cover, even the most basic policy, and because they are cash plan policies they can be over half the cost of those from other providers. Back problems are a huge cost to businesses in the UK, causing employees to take nearly five million days off work every year. Physiotherapy won’t be able to help all of these problems, but by providing near-immediate access to this treatment, companies could significantly help to cut the number of days lost to sickness and improve the efficiency of their workforce.

GP’s working hours could come back into debate once again in the House of Commons if the Conservatives get elected at the general election later this year. Shadow Health Spokesman, Andrew Lansley has said this week that the Conservative party will look to change rules brought in six years ago which meant GPs were no longer in control of out of hours care. It meant that Primary Care Trusts were given the responsibility instead and often brought in private companies to run the service, because 90 percent of GP’s decided to opt for a pay cut rather than work longer hours when given the choice back in 2004. But after the high profile case when German doctor Daniel Ubani gave a 70-year-old man too much diamorphine, later leading to his death, the Conservatives are looking to change this back to ensure that mistakes like this do not happen again. Lansley said, “When Labour took responsibility for out-of-hours care away from GPs they made a serious error.”


However, giving the decision back to GP’s might not be a solution to the problem of providing the out of hours care that is used by nine million people in the UK every year. The British Medical Association is expected to oppose this proposal, bringing back previous arguments that GP’s were overworked and underpaid. Either way, this is a problematic situation and these cases where people have died will have done nothing to help the NHS’ reputation. People who are concerned about the quality of care may take out a quote for private medical insurance which will provide them with more affordable access to private health care as an alternative.

A member of one of the UK’s top health insurance trade associations says that a two tier health system is becoming inevitable due to some of the decisions made by the NHS. Mike Izzard, from the Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries, told the Private Healthcare UK website, that the recommendations made to the NHS by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) about which drugs are the most cost effective are helping to maintain the strong position of private healthcare. One of the latest recommendations by NICE that yet another cancer drug, Avastin, is not a good use of NHS resources may be encouraging more people to avoid the NHS altogether by getting a quote for private health insurance and there by giving them affordable access to private treatment where drugs that are not provided by the NHS are more likely to be available.


The government would like to see a single tier of health service, where the NHS is suited to everyone’s needs but Mike Izzard says this is becoming less likely. “All the major political parties keep claiming they want the best healthcare service and they want to avoid a two-tier healthcare system with the NHS on one side and the private sector on the other. But bit-by-bit the NHS’s potential effectiveness keeps being eroded away by NICE. If the NHS cannot provide the possible live saving treatment which is now available, then the private sector will have to step in more and more with the result that a two tier system becomes inevitable, whatever the political ideals.”

The NHS may actually be helping private hospitals in the UK to survive through the recession and even improve their services. This is because of the increase in the amount of NHS patients that are now being treated in private health centres, which is offsetting a downturn in the number of patients who are paying for their own treatment. One example of this is General Healthcare group, who owns one of the largest private healthcare companies in the UK, BMI Healthcare, which recorded an increase of profits of 7.6 percent over the past year despite the recession. Private healthcare, as a luxury item, could have potentially been one of the hardest hit sectors during the recession but it doesn’t seem that this has happened and private health insurance policy holders of now and the future will no doubt benefit from these facilities that are still performing well.


Private hospitals, like the ones owned by BMI Healthcare have seen a drop in the number of patients who are funding their treatment through ‘self-pay.’ One option for these people who may no longer be able to afford to pay for often very costly private healthcare is to compare private health insurance policies. One of the easiest ways to do this is through an online quote. Cash plan private medical insurance is one of the most affordable types of private medical cover and its customers get the best of both worlds. The NHS is using the private sector for four times as many procedures as it was 18 months ago according to Laing and Buisson and cash plan private health insurance gives its customers the option to be treated in by the NHS if they wish so they may even end up in a private hospital anyway. Customers can then use the money to help towards other costs incurred as a result of illness, like travel for example.

NHS patients have had the option to upgrade their treatment since last year, meaning that they can have access to expensive drugs if they wish to pay extra. This has been extremely popular with revolutionary cancer drugs like Herceptin, but now it seems that the huge cost of these treatments are bumping up the cost of some private medical insurance policies. PMI is a highly attractive option to help pay towards the cost of upgrading NHS care, but if premiums are becoming more expensive some people may start to look for an alternative. Cash plan private health insurance, like the policies offered by Freedom Healthnet is extremely affordable, and although it doesn’t cover the cost of cancer treatment, it is ideal for topping up other forms of NHS treatment. This way, premiums are less likely to increase from their already low cost because they will not be affected by this.


More than four in ten people (42 percent) would pay for drugs that are currently not available on the NHS according to the 2008 Health of the Nation survey, which was carried out by Bupa. These often new and expensive treatments can be more effective in treating certain conditions and are undoubtedly highly sought after by sufferers. But the NHS is inevitably limited by its budget that is looking likely to be cut in the next few years as the government makes to look savings to help pay back the record amount of debt the UK is now in. The number of people who are taking out a quote for private medical insurance to enable them to upgrade their medical care in the most affordable way may increase as a result.

The recession has caused many of us to think more carefully about the state of our health, according to a recent survey. The ‘Britain Under Pressure’ research, carried out for financial services group Friends Provident, found that up to 10 million of us are now feeling more fit and well because of this new found attitude. Nearly six in ten people said they would like to do more to take care of their health, with the majority of those doing this by changing their diets by swapping junk food and takeaways for healthier alternatives and starting to grow their own fruit and vegetables. For those people who have become increasingly aware of their health and wellbeing, private medical insurance could now be an attractive option.


Scare stories about the NHS, including people’s experiences of dirty wards and general unhygienic conditions, catching hospital acquired infections like MRSA and long waiting lists, may be the sort of thing that goes over the head of some people with a ‘it’ll never happen to me’ mindset. This change in attitude over the past year may be the sort of thing that opens some people’s eyes to the possibility of experiencing some of these troubles that the NHS has had in the past. Private medical insurance can be an affordable way to gain access to private hospitals where these sorts of issues haven’t been experienced certainly to the extent of the NHS. From just £10.88 a month, this could be just the same cost that buying extra fruit and vegetables is adding on to your shopping bill, perhaps less.

A union for workers in the public service has said that the NHS should employ more cleaners. The latest research sponsored by UNISON has found that just one extra cleaner on a hospital ward can reduce contamination in certain areas by nearly a third. Hospital acquired infections have been of great concern to patients in the UK over the past few years and has been a major influence in persuading people to get a quote for private medical insurance. The study found that in the six months that an extra cleaner was in place, the number of MRSA cases reduced. The NHS may see employing an extra member of staff as a great cost in the short term, but researchers estimated that the extra cleaner saved between five to nine lives from MRSA infection and up to £70,000 in NHS funds to treat them. This money is vital to any NHS Trust which will inevitably have to make cuts in the coming years as the government struggles to continue the huge cash injections that it has provided recently.


The number of cleaners in the NHS has been cut dramatically over the past thirty years, some say by up to a half. UNISON’s general secretary, Dave Prentis told Health Insurance and Protection Magazine, “UNISON will be arguing that every cleaner plays an invaluable part in the control of infections and employing more in the NHS is a win, win situation - lives are saved as well as much needed NHS money." But as it stands, the news that the number of cleaners has been cut by such a large amount could be a great concern to those people who are already worried about the state of hygiene in NHS hospitals. These people may wish to take out a private medical insurance policy to ensure that they are treated in a private clinic where the levels of cleanliness are at the highest standards.

Everyone has different priorities when it comes to their healthcare. People over the age of fifty in particular have different concerns and preferences concerning how they would like to be treated than someone in their twenties for example. While younger people may get a quote for private health insurance because they want to return to full health as quickly as possible, visiting times and arrangements as well as general comfort might be more important to an older person. New research carried out by Saga Health has found that 9 in 10 of over fifties would be comfortable or very comfortable with having visitors in a private healthcare room whereas only a third of them said the same about NHS facilities. Although having visitors may seem like a small thing to some people, others may consider their family with a bigger importance and could be the deciding factor into whether or not they get a quote for private medical insurance. The survey also found that over fifties would be happier for their grandchildren to visit them in a private hospital.


There are a number of benefits to having a private health insurance, the most common being quicker waiting times and being able to be treated where and when you like. However there are some advantages that may not be immediately obvious. Small factors like free car parking and unlimited visiting hours can make a big difference to some people. Some people may also find the thought of being treated on a large, sometimes mixed sex ward very intimidating, but through private healthcare you will be able to have your own room and retain some of your privacy. Little luxuries like having your own TV are sometimes not the first thing on your mind but being comfortable in your surroundings could be the first step to making a quicker recovery.

Concerns have been raised this month over the quality of NHS out of hours care, following the death of a 70 year old man. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been carrying out an investigation and has raised its worries over the level of monitoring of these services. Out of hours care passed to agencies in many primary care trusts across the country after the change of GP’s contracts in 2004, which meant that they could opt out of working in the evenings and at weekends if they wished. Patients, like David Gray, have suffered as a result. In this particular case, Mr Gray was given ten times the normal dose of the painkiller diamorphine. The CQC has now called for increased monitoring of these out of hours services, saying that the current situation is a “nationwide problem.” Concerns about NHS services are just one reason why some people decide to take out a quote for private medical insurance.


The case of this elderly man is not the only one to hit the headlines. A 41-year-old woman also died back in 2005 from organ failure after being seen by a total of eight doctors over just four days. An inquiry was carried out then into Penny Campbell’s death and found similar problems with out of hours services. Although these high profile cases only cover two areas of the country, the CQC has been investigating five areas which are covered by the Take Care Now programme – primary care trusts in Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Waveney, Worcestershire, South West Essex and Cambridgeshire. The CQC’s chief executive, Cynthia Bower told The Times, “Although we are still in the early stages of our inquiries, we believe this may point towards a national problem. We are, therefore, encouraging PCTs across the country to scrutinise in more detail the out-of-hours services they commission.” Some people believe these services should become GP’s responsibility once more but until that happens, private health insurance might be one way to access private clinics to ensure a high quality of care. Take Care Now has welcomed the CQC’s findings and is continuing to work with them.

The Liberal Democrat party leader Nick Clegg has joined the many people in the UK who opt for private healthcare for their families. This was a controversial announcement by the politician last month, who admitted paying for his son to see a private specialist to avoid NHS waiting lists. While this is becoming increasingly common in the UK, with the numbers of people who have private health insurance increasing in 2008 despite the country heading into recession, other politicians have criticised Clegg for not supporting the National Health Service. Liberal Democrat policy even allows the public to look for private healthcare if they are not treated on the NHS within a reasonable time. It is this sort of lack of confidence in the NHS, made even more in the public eye through these high profile figures that have encouraged people to take out a quote for private health insurance.


Mr Clegg himself does not have a private health insurance policy, and has paid for individual appointments himself. Self pay is one option if you wish to be treated in an alternative to the NHS but this can be costly and if can eliminate people if they do not have savings and could also lead people to get into debt they would rather avoid. Private medical insurance, particularly cash plan private health cover is an affordable way to gain access to private healthcare and avoiding the NHS waiting lists that are off putting to so many people. Illness is not something that one can predict, so while we may have savings now and could afford to pay for private healthcare, in the future when we need treatment, often as an emergency we may not be able to afford it. This is why private health insurance policies can provide a good peace of mind.

One hundred people in the UK lose their sight everyday in the UK, but out of those only 8 will receive any counselling from the NHS. That’s according to the latest research from the Royal National Institute of Blind People who are concerned that many people could be at risk from conditions like depression without this help. They say that losing your sight is life changing and people often struggle to come to terms with it. Fazilet Hadi from the charity told the BBC there is "a systematic failure in the UK to provide vital support". The government say they are committed to providing help for disabled people but the RNIB say that a lot of people are left puzzled when the support they expect to receive doesn’t arrive.


Charities like the RNIB are often left to provide advice to people where other organisations like the NHS are not as effective as people might expect when their time of need comes about. Although this is one of the reasons why charities were set up in the first place, their resources cannot most of the time stretch to meet demand. The RNIB have said they can only help a third of the people who are facing losing their site under their current capabilities. This is just another example where people have to find an alternative source to the NHS to help them through their health issues and problems when they don’t feel that its services are sufficient. Getting a quote for private health insurance is the first step in ensuring that the best quality health care is available if a person would rather be treated in an alternative place to an NHS hospital or clinic.

Budget cuts to the NHS are seeming more and more inevitable over the coming years as the government begins to look at where it can start paying back the huge debt the UK is currently in. Where those cuts are likely to take hold is a hot subject for politicians at the moment with Labour MPs rejecting the recommendations of one report last week. Management consultants, McKinsey and Company proposed that 137,000 clinical and admin posts should be cut, saving the health service £20bn over the next five years. But while some people believe these sorts of roles are wasteful, the government believe that job cuts are not the way forward. Health Minister Mike O’Brien told the BBC, "The government does not believe the right answer to improving the NHS now or in the future is to cut the NHS workforce. In core frontline services like maternity, nursing and primary care we need more staff rather than fewer." Even the possibility that jobs could be lost, putting the NHS under more pressure, could be one reason why some people might get a quote for private medical insurance.


Cutting jobs is not the only suggestion for saving vital money within the NHS however. A recruitment freeze was also suggested by this latest report, as well as the possibility of medical school places being cut. This could be damaging in the long term as there could be fewer trained doctors and nurses in the future. The report also believes that £3 billion could be saved through improving staff productivity. Whatever the end solution, it seems that certain aspects of the health service will have to take priority as budgets become tighter and compromises will have to be made. Some people will not want to compromise when it comes to their health and may turn to private medical insurance to ensure themselves access to high quality treatment.

The future of the NHS’s budget looks more and more uncertain after Conservative MPs failed to back the party’s leader David Cameron’s plans to increase funding above the rate of inflation if he comes into power at the next election. It’s starting to seem as though the health service will be one of the top issues for debate over the coming months as cuts have to be made across all areas of the economy to begin to pay back the record amounts of debt the UK is now in. Since 1997, the Labour Party have pumped billions of pounds into the NHS to try and cut waiting times and improve general conditions but now it seems that this can no longer continue and some people are worried that standards will begin to fall again. Private medical insurance may start to become an attractive option for these people to guarantee themselves high quality treatment.

David Cameron’s commitment to the NHS may have been a reassurance for those people who are concerned that budget cuts could be damaging to the level of care on offer, but now it seems he could be over-ridden by his own party. A recent poll suggests that nearly two thirds of Tory MPs do not agree with Cameron’s ideas to spend above the rate of inflation on the health service. It is starting to seem inevitable that compromises are going to have to be made within the NHS as budgets are squeezed. Some people may not like to make compromises where their health is concerned and may get quotes for private health insurance to put their mind at ease.

Vital NHS funds – in the region of £300,000 – have been spent by a NHS Trust in Norfolk on private hospital beds that weren’t used. The ten beds were hired out by the Trust from the private Spire hospital as part of a wider contract between mid-March and mid April this year and a further five beds from mid-April to 19 July. The idea behind the scheme of hiring in help from the private healthcare sector is to relieve pressure on NHS facilities and this is something that has been used across various areas of the health service. However this particular deal has been criticised, not only because of the cost of beds that were never used, but because the cost of them were considerably more than the average cost of NHS beds. These Spire hospital beds are costing an average of around £392 each for every day of the contract, compared to between £180 and £270 for NHS beds.


Taxpayers are ultimately the ones who suffer from wasteful expenditures like this. The money that was spent on the help of private healthcare providers could have been spent on improving NHS facilities, treatments or hiring the staff that would have meant they didn’t need to use private beds in the first place. Norfolk NHS Trust say that the beds were hired at a particularly busy time for the hospital, and that after the first month the number of beds were reduced to five as they weren’t being used. They reassure that all beds are being used now, but some people may simply find the fact that this NHS Trust can’t keep up with demand at busy times a reason to get a quote for private medical insurance. We do not choose when we fall ill, and this could fall within the busiest time of year for an NHS hospital where facilities are tightly stretched.

NHS patient records could be stored by a private company like Google if plans put forward by the Tories get the go ahead. They are currently considering the option as an alternative to the current IT system overhaul under Labour. They are due to announce the results of a review in the next few weeks which is likely to consider handing over medical records to Google or Microsoft. It means that patients could potentially access their records from a home computer, and the Conservatives say that this system would be more secure because patients have to give their permission before NHS staff can access their records. But the plans have come under fire by doctors and other campaigners who say that this could be dangerous in an emergency situation where for instance an unconscious patient could not give their permission for medical staff to access vital information about their health. There is also concern that the database could be hacked into.


The new IT system that is being brought in by Labour, Connecting for Health is costing £12.4 billion and won’t be working until 2014. This has been delayed by four years and has been called ‘centrally determined and unresponsive’ by Tory leader David Cameron. But Cameron’s own proposal has been controversial, because of the Conservative’s close link with Google. The party has said that patients will have the option to have their information stored by one of a number of companies of which Google Health and Microsoft HealthVault have been confirmed possibilities. Patients will not have to opt in to the scheme, and those wishing to stay out of it will have their records kept on the current system, based at their doctor’s surgery. But despite this, some people may find that they wish to get a quote for private medical insurance to avoid this possible new system altogether if they are worried about the safety of their information.

A new ground breaking treatment is being made available to patients for the first time, through private healthcare provider Bupa. The APOS treatment, which is designed for knee and lower back pain, can eliminate the need for prescription pain relief for seven out of 10 people. Around 22 million people suffer from back pain across the UK and another 13 million are knee pain sufferers and this treatment could make the lives of these people much more comfortable. A private medical insurance policy could give access to this pioneering treatment, along with many other new solutions to certain illnesses that are not yet available on the NHS. Paying for these treatments is one option but could be expensive so a small monthly premium through private health cover would be one affordable way of having access to the best healthcare facilities available without a substantial bill at the end of it.


The APOS treatment improves the function of the joints and thereby reduces pain by introducing a mild instability through the use of specially designed footwear. This encourages the retraining of the systems that stabilise the joints. It is a two step process, the wearing of the high-tech shoes followed by six months of assessment to see how the patient’s walking pattern changes. The intensity of knee pain can be reduced by around 2 thirds after 8 weeks of the treatment and 86 percent of people would recommend it to someone else. For the millions of people that experience back and knee pain in the UK, this is certainly something that they will want to consider to try and reduce the suffering they often encounter every day, making their jobs and normal activities difficult in some situations. Some people may consider a quote for private medical insurance to make this possible.

Nurses could soon be feeling the effects of the recession, with thousands predicted to lose their jobs in the next five years. According to a new report published by Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, up to 350,000 public sector workers including nurses could face the tough job cuts between 2010/2011 and 2014/2015. It’s all because of the government’s plans to tighten budgets across the board including the NHS. Chief Economist for the Institute, John Philpott, told the Nursing Times, “The public sector has yet to feel the full impact of the recession, and the resultant bloodbath in the public finances.” But the thought of even further restrictions on healthcare budgets could mean that increasing numbers of people decide to get a quote for private medical insurance.


Budget cuts for many are something that happen on paper, maybe affecting people in their own pay packets but with services like the NHS may only be noticeable if they have to experience healthcare treatment themselves. If nurses are likely to lose their jobs in the high numbers predicted, front line services will no doubt be affected. A lot of people will want to ensure that if they unfortunately become ill, especially in the next five years, that they will be able to be treated in the best healthcare facilities available and an increasingly stretched NHS is becoming less attractive. Private medical insurance offers a good alternative by allowing policy holders access to the best medical facilities available .A low monthly premium from providers like Freedom Healthnet give many people the peace of mind they are looking for.

The NHS can expect to have a shortfall of £15 billion over the space of five years according to the NHS confederation. The shortfall is likely to come following 2011 when the era of big spending will come to a sudden end. The problem has arisen from the culmination of a number of factors, including the recession, lower increases in budgets as well as rising costs. Top health service managers have warned this week in a report at the annual NHS confederation conference in Liverpool that action needs to be taken now to prevent bosses having to make major cuts when the shortfall comes into effect. Steve Barnett, the confederation's Chief Executive told The Telegraph, "Shortages in funding will translate to the kind of across the board cuts which could see waiting lists lengthen, standards fall and dissatisfaction with the service grow among patients and staff." This could cause even greater worry for those people who feel they need extra peace of mind by purchasing a private medical insurance policy.


The report, 'Dealing with the downturn: the NHS's greatest ever leadership challenge' said that if extra money isn't put into the NHS in the year 2011/2012, it may not be able to continue being free at the point of service. If this happens, people may have to take out private medical insurance to help cover the added costs. A cash plan private medical insurance policy like those offered by Freedom may be ideal because they already allow their customers to use the cash lump sum they recieve to subsidise the cost of NHS treatment. Even if costs aren't put in for the NHS, which the government will work very hard to avoid, quality of treatment may suffer if bosses like Steve Barnett's fears are confirmed. People who would like to be treated in a clinic where quality is guaranteed may like to take out a quote for private medical insurance to allow them access to private hospitals who are not affected by budget cuts in such a way as the NHS.

Private medical insurance has many benefits, giving the British public more than one reason to enquire into a quote for private medical cover. The number of people who took out private health insurance rose in 2008 by 3.7 percent, astonishing considering the country entered into a recession, just going to show that the advantages of having a private medical insurance policy has become more prominent to people than ever. Freedom Healthnet takes a look at the top five reasons for taking out PMI, according to Bupa.


1. Clean Hospitals
The NHS is notoriously under pressure, mainly because it has a limited budget and has suffered from cleanliness in the past few years. Despite the number of cases of MRSA and other superbugs like C.Difficile falling recently, Bupa found that 8 percent more people stated this as their main reason for taking out private health insurance than the year before.

2. Faster access to specialists
Four percent more people stated this as their reason for choosing private medical insurance.

3. No waiting lists
This is a very attractive benefit for many people who enquire into private health cover. NHS waiting lists have improved significantly recently, with the government achieving it’s 18 week target. But this is still too long for some people and the thought of being able to be treated in as quick a time as possible, as well as in a medical centre that is most convenient to them is a big factor.

4. Faster recovery
Private hospitals have some of the best medical facilities in the country, and this along with the fact that people can be treated before their conditions get any worse by waiting for longer on the NHS are just some of the reasons why two percent more people took out private medical insurance than last year.

5. Ability to see the same consultant
A lot of people build up trust between the doctor that is to be helping them overcome their illness and return to a good state of health. But on the NHS, this is something that has become increasingly difficult, especially if someone wants to be treated in the shortest time available.

The number of people covered by a private medical insurance policy in 2008 increased by 2.7 percent from the previous year, despite the UK heading into the recession. That means that the total number of people now covered by either a personal or corporate policy is now 7,335,000 according to the figures released by the Association of British Insurers. Nick Starling from the organisation told moneyhighstreet.com, “The continued rise in the number of people covered by PMI is good news. PMI gives people the peace of mind that they are able to get access to the treatment they need, at the time they need it, where they need it.”


The recession has meant that many people have had to cut back on the luxury items and activities that they once enjoyed before they may have lost their job, been laid off or had their hours cut down for example. Private medical insurance has long been thought of as a luxury and for some this may seem like an option to cut back on. But with cash plan private medical insurance, health cover is no longer the luxury that it used to be as it is now more affordable for the majority of people with premiums starting as little as £10.88 per month. Health is an area that many people consider a high priority and cutting back on healthcare is something that people don’t wish to do, and still want to have the option to be treated in a short space of time in a place that is convenient to them and where they are sure they can expect to receive top quality treatment that can come as a result of private medical insurance. These people might want to get a quote for cash plan private medical insurance to see how much money they can save and consider switching rather than cancelling altogether. These latest figures show that people are not looking to cancel anytime soon.

A quote for private medical insurance is based on many factors including age, occupation and area of residence. Some people will undoubtedly end up with a higher bill for private medical cover than others. In a time when income is being spread further than it has been in the past decade, most people will be looking for ways in which they can save – and their private medical insurance policy is one of them. By making a few simple lifestyle changes however, a person could put themselves in a significantly lower risk category than someone else. Here are just three ways in which this can be done:

The healthier you are, the less you pay. You may have been a smoker all your life, but it is never too late to change. Simply by taking a second look at your diet and participating in exercise – even something as easy as walking further than you usually would – can make a big difference to your general well-being. The private medical insurance provider will undoubtedly have to pay out for more health care treatments for someone who has a lower standard of health so this is reflected in the insurance quote.

A less hazardous occupation can reduce the cost of your private health insurance policy. There are dangers in every walk of life, but some workplaces expose their employees to more risky situations than others. Some areas of the country also mean people more likely to be susceptible to a certain condition than others – for example heart disease is known to be more prevalent in areas of the North and Scotland. You do not necessarily have to change your job or move house – but this is something to consider when you are enquiring into private health insurance.

A good credit rating can also save you money on your medical insurance premiums. This factor is becoming increasingly relevant across more areas than before, as your ability to pay also affects health insurance companies, as well as other institutions like mortgage providers. A customer with an excellent credit history will obviously be more attractive and will benefit from a reduction in price.

Healthcare in 2009 – Part One

Another new year is on our doorsteps, undoubtedly bringing with it challenges and exciting prospects for individuals and businesses alike. The healthcare industry is no exception to this and Freedom looks ahead to just two of the issues likely to be raised in 2009, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute.

Smaller pharmaceutical companies could boom this coming year, as the overall economic downturn has meant that production in large businesses has slowed down. These big companies, also known as Big Pharma (referring to those companies with revenues of over £2 billion, such as the British GlaxoSmithKline) will be increasingly relying on the takeover and mergers of smaller pharmaceuticals to bring innovation back into the drug development industry. This could be exciting news for private health insurance customers, because more new drugs could become available on the market as a result, and with NHS top-ups now available, private medical insurance policy holders could choose to take advantage of their cover by paying the difference for these more expensive new drugs.

Preventative treatments are also likely to get a boost in the New Year from a range of health care players including drug makers. Vaccines will be at the forefront of the market and new ones are likely to emerge, like the cervical cancer vaccine that began to be delivered to teenage girls earlier in 2008. Some of these brand new preventative healthcare measures may not immediately be offered by the NHS, so a quote for private medical insurance could posibly help to ensure full access to the treatments, as and when they become available.

Many of us will need a physiotherapist at some point in our lives, for a variety of reasons, such as: following an illness, an accident or as a result of ageing. 

Given that illness and accidents can be, by their very nature, unpredictable, as are the effects of aging on the body, many people will feel safer in the knowledge that they can have access to physiotherapy treatment by getting a quote for private medical insurance. 

Access to physiotherapy is covered by most private medical insurance providers, however it is often thought of as a luxury and is an add-on in many cases. This is despite the fact that the treatment is a central part of the recovery process in many hospital departments such as outpatients, intensive care, mental health, paediatrics, occupational health and orthopaedics. 

In contrast to this, Freedom Healthnet gives access to physiotherapy treatments on its most basic of private medical insurance plans. Physiotherapy is classed as an outpatient treatment and is optional on all policies, but both inpatient and outpatient care can be accessed for as little as £20.29 per month on a Gold level of cover. By upgrading your essential health care policy to cover both inpatient and outpatient care, you will also gain access to other optional outpatient treatments and services such as specialist consulations, x-rays, pathology, diagnostic tests, MRI and CT scans, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. 

When taking out any sort of insurance policy – whether it is for your car or private health cover – it is always best to shop around to find the best deal for you, especially as money has become increasingly tight. The easiest way to do this is by taking out an online quote with a personalised quote coming back to you in a very short amount of time. You could potentially halve the amount you pay for a private health insurance policy, even just by looking at a different type of health insurance.

Cash plan health insurance policies are different to traditional private health cover plans because they pay you a cash lump sum, rather than paying directly to a health care clinic for the cost of your treatment. This not only allows you to have access to top quality hospitals with short waiting lists and the best facilities in the country, but also gives you the option to stay on the NHS if you wish and use the money to help with the costs incurred as a result of your illness. This is becoming increasingly important as many people are struggling to continue paying their hefty bills when they are forced to take time off work.

Cash plan insurance policies like those offered by Freedom are on average the most competitive in price. They can be half the price of the rest of the policies offered in the private health insurance market. So not only can you take advantage of the exclusive benefits of this unique health insurance policy, but you can save money at the same time, giving you more to spend elsewhere.

Private medical insurance has long been perceived by many to be a luxury. With much of the UK’s population cutting back on ‘wants’ and concentrating on their ‘needs’, private health cover could be made less of a priority, but this doesn’t have to be the case. There are a few ways in which you can save money on a quote for health insurance.


First, you should make sure that you have chosen the level of cover that is most relevant to you and your family’s lifestyle. There is no point paying for a policy which has a maximum level of benefits to offer like Freedom’s Diamond Plus Comprehensive cover, when you may not be taking full advantage of it. When money is tight, a more basic policy such as Freedom Gold Medical Insurance could still provide you with the peace of mind that a more extensive level of cover with another insurer could provide, but at a fraction of the cost.*


There are other options, if you would still like to enjoy the wide range of treatments that can be made available from a good private health insurance policy. By increasing your initial excess fee you will also be able to lower your premiums. Sometimes your quote will be decreased with a no claims discount, if you haven’t claimed on your policy as of yet . If you decide to take up a healthy lifestyle, by giving up smoking for example, this can also make a difference, as well other options, such as narrowing the hospital choice open to you, and also, electing for a longer waiting time.

*Get an instant online quote and call 0800 999 2013 for comparison quotes with other providers, quoting BLOG as reference.

It is very important that you should think carefully about how to get a private medical insurance policy that suits your needs. If the time comes when you need to make a claim, you do not want to find that you are not covered for a particular type of treatment. When enquiring into a quote for private health insurance there are many questions that you should ask yourself. Here are just a few:

Am I required to undergo any health checks?

This depends on which type of underwriting you choose for your policy. If you opt for moratorium underwriting you will not have to take any tests or give any information, but for two years you won’t be covered for the treatment of any type of condition that you have had medication, advice, treatment or have experienced symptoms for, whether or not the condition has been diagnosed in the last five years. You will have to fill out a full medical questionnaire however, if you choose full medical underwriting.
Will I have to contribute anything towards the cost of my health care?

You will have to pay a £100 excess on every claim you make with Freedom Healthnet. However, if you decide to increase this cost then you could save up to a quarter off your premiums. With fully comprehensive policies such as Diamond Plus, you will be entitled to unlimited in-patient and out-patient care so you should not have to pay anything else, but you may have to pay a little bit extra if your treatment goes over the limits of your benefits.

Are dental and alternative therapies covered?

Freedom Healthnet does not contribute towards the cost of any dental treatment, but it does embrace the popularity of alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, with the possibility for Diamond Plus customers to add this on to their policies. Other options include psychiatric care and rehabilitation treatments like home nursing and specialist second opinions which are not always covered by other health insurers.

Behind the Scenes – How Your Risk is Calculated

Quotes for private health insurance are so easy and simple to get these days. Fill in a quick form on the internet and a figure is sent back to you almost instantly. But have you ever wondered how private medical insurance companies arrive at a certain sum?

How much you pay for private health cover depends on risk factors. These obviously vary from person to person and result in a very personalised quote for every individual. Age is the main variant which affects the cost of your private health insurance policy. When a person is younger they are less likely to suffer from serious illnesses or need time in hospital for a procedure like a hip replacement, meaning that their premiums are much lower. This is the best time to take out medical insurance, because not only will you be paying less, but there is also the possibility that having had access to the sort of provision of care that creates more peace of mind, and that often has shorter waiting lists and more choice, may have reduced some of the risks you could otherwise have been exposed to.

Age is not the only risk factor. Your quote will also be based upon gender, occupational status and whether or not you smoke. Men and women differ in the types of conditions they are prone to and this is reflected in the price of your policy. Some areas of work are also more likely to cause injury than others, for example, manual labour occupations would pose more of a danger than a secretarial position. The area of the UK in which you live can also provide variance on your health insurance quote because of issues such as the size of the local population, the waiting times at your nearby NHS facilities, the ratio of people to NHS services and the cost of private healthcare in your area.

Many GPs are not meeting their waiting time targets, according to an NHS watchdog. In its recent report, the Healthcare Commission found that over two thirds of all practices could not offer an appointment within 48 hours – the guideline that was set as part of new contracts for doctors in 2004. In the previous year, eight out of ten surgeries met the target. Primary care trusts across the country have now been instructed to launch a review in their areas to avoid losing their patients to private medical insurance.

Despite claims from both the government and doctors that the information was misleading as it was based on patient surveys as well as anonymous calls to surgeries, Gary Needle from the Healthcare Commission told the BBC, “If it was only a 10% difference then you might say patients were not understanding the exact question put to them, but you can't explain away this scale of difference in that way. Patients are not getting sufficient access."

Health insurance policies allow patients to use world class private facilities, where waiting times are not an issue. It is a priority for many people to be able to have access to a doctor when they need it, not when an appointment is available. The problem may be irrelevant by the time they get to see a GP, and many people will be put off going altogether, possibly making the illness worse in the long run. With early detection of many conditions vital to a person's recovery, it is likely that these statistics will encourage people to get a quote for private medical insurance where they will be seen and treated efficiently, and in a place and time convenient to them.

When is the best time to take out a health insurance policy? That is one of the many questions that often go through the mind of someone who is enquiring into a quote for private health cover but now one expert thinks she has the answer. Vanessa Bourne, a spokeswoman for the Patients Association, thinks the earlier the better. Many young people, particularly students, believe that a private health insurance is irrelevant while they are less likely to suffer from severe health conditions, but Ms. Bourne says, "Our advice would be that if you want private coverage, get it early in life when it should be cheaper, and try and keep it if you change jobs." She also described how the “meter starts again” every time somebody embarks on a new policy and each time the cost of premiums can be increased by factors such as age and health changes.

By taking out a student medical insurance policy, it is possible to get access to a wide range of top quality medical services, such as general health checks and treatment at a convenient time and place, whether these services are required at home while at university. In the long term, it can mean a better state of health than for someone who does not have access to these facilities, and could lower insurance premiums later in life. Many students may be put off taking out private health cover, because of a lack of funding, but with policies starting from only £9.99 a month, private health insurance for students can be very affordable, and money well spent.

Over 100,000 operations have been cancelled in the past year by the National Health Service, nearly double the number initially reported by the government. The Department of Health stated that 57,000 patients had to have their procedures rescheduled but this only includes those that were informed with less than 24 hours' notice. Many people even suffered from more than one cancellation. It is no wonder then that the number of people taking out a cash plan private medical insurance policy rose by at least three per cent in last year, meaning the total number of people benefitting from health cover reached almost three million in the UK.

Operation cancellations can be deeply troubling for patients, particularly those who are nervously anticipating their stay in hospital. Mark Martin from Health On-Line said, "Often these procedures are of a major or complex nature and one cancellation, let alone multiple cancellations, only adds to the anxieties and stress experienced by the patient and their family. Private medical insurance can go some way towards alleviating these stresses by allowing the patient to choose when and where their procedure is undertaken." Cash plan private medical insurance policies like those from Freedom Healthnet do just this.

Among the many choices available to you are: a private clinic that is in a suitable location, whether it is close to home, or further away, if you don’t mind a longer journey. If you would like to travel out of the country, you can also opt to receive your treatment abroad, or if you want to visit your local NHS hospital, your private medical insurance policy can supplement any costs incurred. Either way, you can avoid long waiting lists and have your operation without the fear that it will be cancelled.

There has never been a better time to take out a private medical insurance policy. The number of state of the art private medical facilities is increasing all the time, and there have been two high profile cases just this month. Welsh private medical company, The Independent General Practice, Wales’ first private practice, will open a ‘super-surgery’ at the end of March in Cardiff Gate. The centre will offer a wide range of services including various vaccinations, occupational health procedures and physiotherapy as well as routine GP care for up to 5,000 patients at a time. On top of this, discussions are taking place to offer minor plastic surgery to complement the anti-ageing treatments that are already available like Botox and collagen fillers.

BUPA has recently bought the well known Cromwell Hospital in London for £90 million. It is all part of a project to create a centre of excellence for private patients as they plan to invest a further £30 million into the facility. It is already renowned for pioneering medical equipment and cancer services, with late footballer George Best being one of its previous patients.

Is it any wonder then that an increasing number of people are getting quotes for private health insurance with access to such high standards of medical care? Other major companies for example Virgin, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have all produced plans of ‘polyclinics’, which the local primary care trusts lack the money to fund. Virgin has a vision of a practice offering laser eye treatment, dental care, pharmacies, beauty facilities and alternative therapies amongst others. They have predicted that by 2050, private healthcare will take an equal proportion of the gross national product as the NHS.

Private Health Insurance, like everything else, is now accessible online 24/7. With increasing numbers of individuals requiring this valuable medical cover, it is vital that health insurance providers give excellent access to clients. Customers want to learn about the different types of health insurance policies available to them: this is vital as they need to decide which policy is right for them and their loved ones. Is a family policy better? An individual one? One for child only? or for a student? Is it a group insurance, like corporate / company health insurance? What type of health insurance is best for me? is a question often asked: budget health insurance, core health insurance? comprehensive health insurance? With outpatient care? With Alternative therapies? Also, when considering private medical insurance, it is important to identify which hospitals your treatment could be in, should you fall ill. Some companies are restricted to one group of hospitals, some via an area. In the case of Freedom Healthnet, upon approval of inpatient claim, funds are transferred directly to the account of the client to allow the client to decide where they would like to be treated: in a UK private hospital, an NHS hospital or a private hospital abroad.
All this information should be clearly displayed on medical insurance company's web sites so that the user can weigh up the benefits of each option and make an informed decision.

It is essential to understand exactly what you are covered for and what medical exclusions are on your policy and some people choose to do this via the company's web site whilst others prefer to talk to an insurance specialist with the company. Health insurance companies are finding, increasingly, that individuals are not only getting an online quote but also they are deciding to buy health insurance online, direct from the provider.
For those looking to compare health insurance / medical insurance prices, an online quick quote facility is excellent to get an overview of the cost of health insurance. With minimal information to input, a 30 second online quote for medical insurance is possible.