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.

A campaign group has said that politicians shouldn’t be involved in the NHS. The claim was made just weeks before the general election by Helen Evans of Nurses for Reform who believe that the health service should be depoliticised. This comes just at the time when the NHS is becoming one of the central debates for campaigning politicians yet again, who are looking to persuade the general public that they are the ones that can bring those always needed improvements to the running of the country’s healthcare system. Nurses for Reform are in favour of drastic changes rather than the more subtle policies being suggested by the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties and think that by putting the NHS in the hands of the independent sector would mean that patients needs would be properly met.


The proposals, outlined by the Nurses for Reform director Helen Evans in the Telegraph earlier this month, suggest that health provision should be handed over to the control of private companies. That includes both profit and not-for-profit ownership. This idea is based around the controversial concept of patients as consumers, but this has been proven successful in the private health care industry already. Private hospitals are among the highest quality treatment centres in the UK, and they lack the budget restrictions that limit much of what the NHS is able to do. Many people take out a private medical insurance policy to give them affordable access to private healthcare so they can avoid the waiting times and other problems that have come about as a result.

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."

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.

President Barack Obama’s plan to introduce an NHS-style healthcare system across the United Stated has taken a potentially serious setback today as the Democrats lost their control over Massachusetts. The state has been a Democrat stronghold since 1972, meaning that Scott Brown will be the first Republican senator there for over thirty five years. It is thought that Obama’s healthcare bill is one of the main reasons for the upset, and has been very controversial for the President despite the fact that many Americans do not have access to healthcare. Almost all the population of Massachusetts (98 percent) are covered by private health insurance so the new bill would not greatly benefit them. Brown told NBC, "We would have lesser care, longer lines and pay higher taxes and it makes no sense."


Criticisms of the NHS have come to the fore front in the debate over introducing universal health care into the United States and may have made people in this country consider covering themselves with a private medical insurance policy as an alternative. The huge cost of introducing it is one obstacle to begin with and many people are worried that the quality of their health services will suffer as a result. People in the UK have the option whether they would like to ‘upgrade’ their treatment with private healthcare if they are not happy with the services available and it is a popular choice for many. The NHS offers a good level of care to everyone, but it has its problems, including lengthy waiting times and issues of cleanliness and it is this that is forming the opinions of those people who oppose Obama’s plans. Brown also told NBC, "I believe everybody should have healthcare, it's just a question of how we do it." The Democrats will decide later today what should be done about the new law, but the election of Brown to the Senate means that the Republicans now have enough votes to stop the legislation passing through.

Suggestions have been made that poorly performing NHS Trusts could be ran by private healthcare companies in the future. Similar moves have been made by the government to help improve some schools and local councils have increasingly been using private finance initiatives as a way of funding long term investment in certain infrastructures. Simon Heffer, speaking in ‘The Telegraph’, says that ‘private-sector hit squads’ should be sent in to sort out certain NHS Trusts like Basildon and Thurrock Trust. Although critics say that these private companies are there to make a profit, the NHS is already commissioning a considerable amount of private healthcare for their patients as part of the Choose and Book programme and deals with a large number of profit making businesses already, like drug companies for example.


The increased use of the private sector in state provided services is just a part of a long held belief that independent businesses can often supply a much better quality experience. This is one of the reasons why some people already choose to have their medical treatment in a private healthcare hospital than an NHS facility. The majority of these people will have a private medical insurance policy and by investing in their health in this way, they know that they will be treated in the one of the best facilities and in the shortest time possible if they should unfortunately become sick. Illness is one of the most unpredictable things in life, and so it is often very important for people to have that peace of mind that the best possible facilities are available to them if the circumstances arise.

Patients in the UK are not the only ones who are being tempted to take out a private medical insurance policy. The doctors who treat them in NHS hospitals are also opting for private health cover. Nearly half of NHS consultants (41 percent) decided to upgrade their medical care according to a survey carried out by Bupa. Critics have said that they are displaying no confidence in the quality of the NHS but the British Medical Association has defended the consultants’ decision. The BMA’s Consultants’ Committee’s Deputy Chairman said, “Consultants may also like the anonymity of private care. One of the problems of being treated in the NHS is that Consultants might find themselves in a bed next to one of their patients”.


This statement makes up one of the underlying reasons why some of the millions of people in the UK have private medical insurance to give them affordable access to private healthcare. It is not always that the NHS provides a substandard level of care; it is that private healthcare has that little extra something. Whether that means that you can be seen in a shorter time, whether you are guaranteed a private room to yourself or whether your visitors can have access to free parking, private hospitals offer a little luxury that may be more appreciated at that time when you are not feeling your best. Feeling more comfortable in your surroundings may even help you to recover more quickly than you might have done otherwise.

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.

The number of people going through privately funded medical treatment has fallen by 4 percent over the past decade – but it’s not because of any drop in the number of people with private health insurance. Research carried out by Laing and Buisson found that since Labour came to power in 1997, the privately funded share of scheduled surgery has decreased from 14.6 percent to 10.6 percent. But it is the people who opt to pay directly for their treatment – “self-payers” – who have started to consider the NHS for their healthcare needs rather than people with health insurance, particularly since the recession has kicked in since 2007. Laing and Buisson’s Chief Executive, William Laing, told the Guardian, "This remarkable reduction in the privately funded share of elective surgery is not because private healthcare is in decline. It is true that an improved NHS service coupled with recession has taken a heavy toll on demand from 'self-payers' without medical insurance cover. But private medical insurance remains robust.”


The NHS has become a more attractive option for those people that suddenly found themselves unable to afford to pay for private healthcare. The massive cash injections from the government have meant that NHS funded operations in private hospitals have grown enormously. In fact the NHS now makes up 16 percent of all operations in private hospitals, compared to six percent in 1997. For those people that still wish to have access to private health care however, having a private health insurance policy is a much more affordable way than self-paying.

British companies are selling their pioneering medical technologies abroad – because the NHS is so difficult to sell products to. One business, Touch Bionics, provided for the NHS for years before becoming the first company to move away from the health service in 2003. The American market in particular has been highly lucrative for these British companies, and they have been able to make huge profits from taking advantage of the large private health insurance sector. While this is fantastic news for British companies like Touch Bionics, who produces a bionic hand with moveable fingers, it could be frustrating for patients in the UK who could be benefitting from these technologies in their own country. Touch’s Director of Marketing, Phil Newman told the Telegraph, “We prefer the US model. The fragmentation of the marketplace means it's easier to get an entry into than a large institution like the NHS."


American patients have been benefitting from these new technologies for many years now. In fact, over 70 percent of the 1,000 Touch Bionic hands that have been produced and sold since September have been used on patients in the USA. This is nearly nine times the amount supplied to NHS patients – who only received 8 percent of those. People in the UK may wish to take out a private health insurance policy which would then allow them to travel to other countries like America for their medical treatment if they wish to do so. This could be especially important for those people who would highly benefit from these innovative technologies that even though they are supplied by British companies, are not readily available in the UK.

A private healthcare provider has said it will offer a premium service to private health insurance customers using it’s facilities. It comes after concerns over increasing numbers of NHS patients being admitted to private hospitals as part of a government programme to hire out a certain number of private hospital beds. The worries from paying customers, among many of those have accessed the clinics via a private medical insurance policy, was that they were receiving a very similar service to those people who were being treated at no cost to them. Now Ramsay Healthcare, has introduced a premium package for private patients using one of its 22 hospitals across England. Patients using this package will have access to many luxury benefits including a hotel style service with newspapers, gifts and a better choice of menu as well as other advantages expected with private healthcare – choice of when and where you wish to be treated and choice of consultant.


Although NHS patients will continue to be treated at the hospitals, there will be clear difference between paying and non-paying patients. While NHS patients are still likely to receive a high standard of care, they will be able to see first hand what extras are available and they are missing out on. Extra comforts can make a big difference especially when you are ill, and you may like to upgrade to a private treatment room rather than sharing with others on a ward. It may seem costly, but accessing private healthcare through private medical insurance rather than paying the fees yourself can be a very affordable way to have those little extras that make all the difference to your recovery.

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.

In the second part of Freedom’s look at 2009, we continue to look at some more of the exciting prospects and challenges for the healthcare industry in the coming year.

Genetic testing has been emerging more and more over the past decade, with the possibility of it being used in every day diagnosis becoming increasingly likely. It has not come without controversy, and ethical issues have meant that the introduction of new methods of testing has been slow and careful. But for the first time, it looks like the market for genetic testing may take off, as costs have dropped significantly, making them much more widely available particularly to those people with private medical insurance. These developments mean that people can get their entire DNA mapped out, so that genetic diseases such as Alzheimer’s can be identified on a person’s genome. Personalised medicine is something that is also in the pipeline for the coming year, meaning that side effects from drugs are much less likely. However these will be expensive, and people may get a quote for private medical insurance to allow them access to these treatments.

Technology is likely to be a big factor in the way that patients experience healthcare in 2009. The increased use of the internet, in particular social networking sites has allowed patients to interact with each other. Patient forums such as patientslikeme.com are also becoming more and more popular meaning that the way people receive medical information is changing. Blogs, like this one offered by Freedom, are also providing an alternative source of information. 

A new disease classification index known as ICD-10 will be introduced in 2009. ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems) is a way of coding many different healthcare problems such as diseases, symptoms, social circumstances and external causes of injury or diseases as defined by the World Health Organization. This will have two impacts. Firstly, it will be a costly transition for health institutions that some with limited funds (like the NHS) may struggle with, meaning that private health care companies may come out on top. However, it will allow the tracking of new procedures and diagnoses so that there may be a better standard of healthcare and treatments available for those with private medical insurance and NHS patients alike. 

One size fits all rarely works in practice. Things that benefit one person do not always have the same advantages for someone else. With some private medical insurance policies, because of the way that they are structured, people can occasionally end up paying extra premiums to have access to one particular benefit, when other benefits offered on that higher level of cover are not needed, irrelevant and a waste of money. Freedom Healthnet, like other health insurers such as Norwich Union and Health Online, allows you to tailor your private medical insurance policy to suit your needs.

Freedom Healthnet allows its customers to choose whether they would like inpatient only cover, both inpatient and outpatient or fully comprehensive cover. Inpatient care includes accommodation charges, drugs and dressings, theatre charges, specialists’ fees, diagnostic tests, oncology treatments, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as MRI and CT scans. Outpatient treatments are then optional and customers can choose whether to include them in their policy or not. These treatments include specialist consultation and treatment fees, x-rays, pathology, diagnostic tests and procedures, MRI and CT scans, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and physiotherapy. By giving customers the option as to whether they would like to be covered for outpatient care or not, Freedom Healthnet allows people to make savings on their private health insurance quote if these services are not needed.

It is also possible to personalise your policy even further, when deciding on which level of cover you would like. An essential insurance policy such as Freedom Gold Health Insurance may be suitable for someone wishing to top up their NHS treatment with the new rules on supplementing the cost of drugs for example, by paying for up to £30,000 worth of inpatient care. However, someone who is looking for a policy that gives them more peace of mind by covering nearly every eventuality may prefer a fully comprehensive policy which covers unlimited amounts of both inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Cash plan private medical insurance policies have a reputation for being the most competitive in the market. Freedom’s policies in particular, can be, on average, half the price of similar levels of cover offered by its rivals in the health insurance market. But have you ever wondered how it is possible to offer such a good level of cover, with benefits starting from £30,000 worth of treatment on the most basic of policies, for significantly less than other health insurance companies?

Freedom maintains its low premiums by paying cash directly to you instead of the hospital. If you can go to a private healthcare centre with a cash lump sum they will more often than not offer the treatment at a lower price than they would to someone who has a traditional private medical insurance policy where the company pays directly to the hospital for the cost of the healthcare. This allows Freedom to pass on the savings to you as customers with much lower monthly premiums.

Freedom as a company has not spent as much on marketing and advertising as its counterparts in the private health insurance market. Television advertising can be very costly to a company and Freedom has decided to stick with more cost effective forms of marketing like print advertising to allow it to pass on the savings again to its customers. Some people might argue that Freedom is not as well known as, for example, BUPA for this reason, but Freedom's customers can be satisfied by the fact that they have a robust private medical insurance policy, but for sufficiently less money.

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.

Breaking the Mould - Why Not Try Health Insurance?

Research into the health insurance market has revealed that certain characteristics make a person more likely to be covered by a private medical insurance policy than others. The study, carried out by Besley, Hall and Preston, found that the typical policy holder is approximately middle aged, reasonably wealthy and a supporter of the Conservative party. But with cash plan medical insurance policies dropping traditional premiums by a significant amount, more people across the UK population should consider taking out a quote.

Many different factors were taken into account in the study including age, gender, occupational status, educational level and area of residence. The research found noticeable differences across the age spectrum. In 2001, only 2.7 per cent of the UK’s 16 to 24 year olds had private medical insurance in comparison to nearly eight per cent of 55 to 64 year olds – over triple the amount. Very competitive student health insurance is available for as little as £9.87 per month so this trend could easily change. Men are almost three times as likely to buy a health insurance policy than women, and double the amount of men than women are covered by employee health insurance as revealed in a study of BHPS statistics between 1996 and 2002. Despite this, women made up three quarters of those family members covered by an extended policy.

Other studies found that over four in ten of the richest members of society had private health cover compared to only 3.7 per cent of the poorest people. Education also made a difference. Those who had been through further education such as university were more likely to be policy-holders than those who had left school at sixteen. The percentage of the population with PMI also varied across the UK, with one in five of people in the south-east of the country having some sort of cover compared with only 6 per cent living in the north-east.

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.

The amount of British pets covered by a private health insurance policy is nearly double that of their owners. According to a new study by Tesco Finance, 23 per cent of domestic animals in the UK have health cover in comparison to only 12.2 per cent of their human counterparts. It is well known that Britain is a nation of animal lovers, and there are many benefits of having an insurance policy that protects our furry friends. Ewan Mc Neil, former president of the society of practicing veterinary surgeons told yourmoneyhaven.com, “I'm not surprised that pet insurance is becoming so popular - people will do everything they can to ensure the best for their pets.” But despite this, should we be looking after number one?

With the credit crunch, money is much tighter and a decision may have to be made as to whether it’s yourself or the dog that gets the private health cover. It is true that vet bills can be an unnecessary and costly expense for pet owners, however having access to top quality health care for yourself could end up being ruled out if your animal wins the battle for the health insurance policy. Patients may be subject to long NHS waiting lists and a limited choice of facilities and appointment times because they cannot afford the fees for private treatment, but this could easily be avoided with the small cost of a cash plan private health insurance policy like those offered by Freedom Healthnet. If a dilemma arises, pet owners may have to consider the cost of a vet bill in comparison to private health care for themselves.

Figures released recently have revealed that seven in ten of all NHS trusts have been forced to ask for help from pest control experts at least fifty times in a two year period. Among the vermin found in hospitals were rats, flies, cockroaches, bedbugs and fleas, according to a report from the Conservative party. Not only were the pests discovered in wards, but there were reports of infestations in operating theatres. The worst offender was Nottingham University NHS Trust who had a total of 1,070 occurrences between January 2006 and March 2008. In the most shocking incidents, maggots were found in a pair of slippers, a swarm of flies was plaguing a children’s ward and rats were found in a maternity unit. In the light of these findings, it is no surprise that an increasing number of people are opting for private medical insurance, offering access to clean and efficient facilities.

 

The Conservative Party and patients alike have expressed their concerns over the matter. The shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley told the BBC, “Labour have said over and over that they will improve cleanliness in our hospitals, but these figures clearly show that they are failing.” The Health Protection Agency has argued that such infestations are unlikely to directly affect patients, but a spokesman from the Patients Association did not agree and said, “Such findings are truly revolting. If these hospitals were restaurants they would be closed down and out of business." 

 

Seven million people in the UK have already invested in a private medical insurance policy - with concerns over the cleanliness of NHS hospitals frequently given as a reason for making this decision. With a cash plan medical insurance policy, customers are given the choice as to where they receive their treatment, so they can ensure that the clinic they end up in has excellent standards, before they embark on receiving health care.

In recent years, the NHS has increasingly been turning to private facilities to treat its patients in an attempt to cut long waiting lists, but it seems that the Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTC’s) will now also be available to those patients with private health insurance. In fact, some private policy holders have already been using such facilities and taking advantage of some of the benefits they can offer, such as being in a convenient location as well as providing quick treatments for specific problems, access to brand new purpose-built facilities and are both friendly and personalised.

Some ITSC’s are only offering their care and equipment to NHS patients, but others like Ramsay Healthcare, which has just built eight new healthcare centres, are offering their services to private health insurance customers. The range of treatments that a private patient could receive at an ITSC like Ramsay’s is wide. Many routine surgical operations such as varicose vein treatments, hernia repairs and colonoscopies are available, along with cosmetic procedures and access to MRI and CT scanning equipment.

The Department of Health, while recognising the priority for NHS patients, has also welcomed the increased choice for private patients, saying that the new treatment centres could be available to all “should the local agreements and the capacity be available”. It is hoped that not only will ITSC’s widen the choice for people with private health insurance, with cash plan policies already giving the option of supplementing NHS care, but The Confederation of British Industries believes that the integration of private companies with the National Health Service “encourages innovation and increases efficiency more widely”. The government have also this month given the go-ahead to three more ITSC’s in Greater Manchester, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and are expected to give a decision on further proposals of schemes in Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire in November this year.

3.4 million people in the UK now have a private medical insurance policy

The number of individuals taking out private medical insurance policies has risen for the first time in ten years. Despite the relatively low increase of 1.8%, experts are describing it as an important rise. Overall, the total number of people subscribing to a private health insurance plan rose by 3.4% in 2006 to give 3.4 million people in the UK reaping the many benefits of medical cover.

The figures taken from the Ipsos MORI research also found that in all, 12% of consumers now have private medical insurance and the numbers are expected to continue to rise between 2007 and 2012. This means that private medical insurance is now the most popular type of health insurance cover, above other products like dental policies and critical illness insurance.

There has also been a predicted rise in the number of people taking out group policies in the next four years. Medical insurance for companies and employees is available and there are many advantages to policies such as these. Not only does the employer have the knowledge that their employees health and well being is being looked after, but the availability of regular health checks means that the number of staffing hours lost to sickness is reduced.