News

Following the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme and the lifting of restrictions across the UK, we start to ask ourselves, are we somewhat close to being back to ‘normal life’ as we once knew it?

Our Protection Adviser, Hayley Towlson, took a look at the latest data and considers whether that sense of normality is still a long way out of reach.

Hospital admissions of Covid-19 patients remain low, but conversely the outstanding outpatient treatment appointments and medical referrals are soaring to what could become an all-time high.  The number of people waiting for NHS treatment in England has grown considerably since the pandemic began.  5.3 million people were waiting for treatment in May 2021, up from 4.4 million in February 2020.  This is anticipated to increase further as more patients seek medical advice, as until now the ability to see a GP has been limited and restricted, meaning more people had a delay in seeking medical advice.

NHS resources are limited and exhausted, but the number of referrals continue to grow.

So, what are your options?  If you are unwell and require investigations or treatment that exceeds the scope beyond your local GP or Pharmacy, where do you turn?  Is the only option to sit waiting on that continuously growing list?

One option could be to personally pay for private medical consultations and treatment, skipping the NHS queue altogether, but the overall costs could potentially mount far beyond affordable.

Any investigations carried out have the aim of receiving a medical diagnosis, but what happens when that medical diagnosis requires expensive treatment, or a condition that requires medication or a form of treatment over a longer period of time?  Is it realistic and affordable to maintain these costs yourself, or would this then see you back on the NHS waiting list?

A more affordable solution is to consider Private Medical Insurance.  There are a number of policies and insurers that cover the likes of private medical expenses, this means that you can seek the investigations and treatment you require without sitting on the NHS waiting list, and only at the cost of an affordable monthly premium.

Across all insurers the most common claims, but not limited to, are:

• Musculoskeletal problems e.g., back or neck pain
• Digestive system conditions g., gastroenteritis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome
• Eye and ear conditions e.g., labyrinthitis – an inner ear imbalance
• Cancer
• Heart and circulatory diseases e.g., coronary heart disease, arrhythmia – an abnormal heart rhythm

I often hear ‘but I am healthy, I don’t need insurance’ and I cannot stress enough about the importance of taking action whilst you are younger, fitter and healthier.  As with any health-related insurance, Private Medical Insurance is protecting you against what may happen in the future, waiting until something goes wrong is too late, this then becomes a pre-existing condition and unlikely to be covered by a policy.

Protecting ‘future you’, today.

Would you like to find out about Private Medical Insurance?  Contact us to see how we can help.