While most Britons will avail themselves of services offered by the National Health Service, there may be times when you want to use private health care. Many doctors actually work in both the National Health Service (NHS) and in private practice, although the former will take precedence.
Services offered by private health companies are generally the same as those offered by the NHS, although many specialise in particular areas such as cosmetic surgery. The health care standards are also just the same.
Insurance
While it is possible to pay directly for any service offered by say, a private clinic, this is not normally advisable as costs can be expensive. It is better to take out some form of insurance, the most popular and possibly the longest serving being Bupa. Others are Medicare and Aviva.
Bupa offers clients many different types of medical insurance from simple basic health plans to full health cover. The former will cover you for such things as optical care and dentistry, while the latter as suggested will cover a wide range of medical problems including hospital visits.
If travelling abroad on business or holiday, medical insurance is vital.
Why Choose Private Medical Care?
The biggest advantage of choosing private medical care is the ability to get treatment whenever you want and the high level of health care standards. In short, there are fewer or even no waiting lists. Another advantage is to be able to fit treatment around yourself rather than fitting in with the NHS system. For example, many practitioners offer appointments outside of normal working hours – even at weekends. One major advantage (even if the practice is within a National Health Service hospital) is you are guaranteed to see a consultant of your choice.
Possible Disadvantages
It goes without saying that there are always downsides with any choice you make. Choosing to go private is no exception. For instance, while in general there are shorter waiting lists than on the NHS, a popular medical practitioner could be fully booked, so you will inevitably still have to wait. One important disadvantage is that there doesn’t tend to be a coordinated approach to health care as with the NHS. As such, if you require a specialist, finding one may be a problem, and be more costly than originally envisaged. Finally, long term care is costly and your insurance company may not be willing to pay.
How is Private Health Care Organised?
There are perhaps three ways in which private health is offered. The first is via the individual. He or she may just be a general practitioner (GP) or may offer specialist services. Medical insurance companies such as Bupa often own their own clinics and hospitals. The third way is via the medical business group. These offer a range if services such as consultants, clinics and hospitals.
Specialists Services
Many private health companies offer specialist services which can take the pressure off the NHS, as they are usually expensive to administer. Such services include cosmetic surgery, pregnancy (particularly IVF) and orthodontic services.
Other services which have grown in popularity in recent years are knee replacements, hip replacements and eye surgery, where these treatments may have quite long waiting lists on the NHS.
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