Your view on Private Health Insurance?

VladKinder

Well-known member
I've got a couple of relatives in NHS hospitals at the moment.

The level of care they are getting is shockingly bad. Obviously people are doing their best, but they are over worked and under staffed.

I'm all for supporting the NHS and keeping it free for everyone, and I know that for serious illness like cancer you have to go through the NHS, but there is nothing more valuable than your health, so

I've been considering getting some health insurance so if I need to I can see a doctor quicker than being on a waiting list, and for non life threating procedures etc.

Has anyone had any experience of going private?

Worth getting insurance, or just have a decent lump sum in the bank for if anything crops up, or a waste of money?
 
I've got a couple of relatives in NHS hospitals at the moment.

The level of care they are getting is shockingly bad. Obviously people are doing their best, but they are over worked and under staffed.

I'm all for supporting the NHS and keeping it free for everyone, and I know that for serious illness like cancer you have to go through the NHS, but there is nothing more valuable than your health, so

I've been considering getting some health insurance so if I need to I can see a doctor quicker than being on a waiting list, and for non life threating procedures etc.

Has anyone had any experience of going private?

Worth getting insurance, or just have a decent lump sum in the bank for if anything crops up, or a waste of money?
I've seriously thought about getting private health insurance but I think it's a ploy by the evil sociopaths in the Tory party to usher in the end of the NHS.

Once enough of us have private the plan will be to whip away free treatment and quadruple (at least) your insurance premiums.
 
I’ve been ill since the beginning of May. I had to pay to see a private GP and a consultant as our so called wonderful NHS wouldn’t see me. And I need physio to get right at £50 a go.

I wish I could afford health insurance but it’s upwards of £100 month.

I’m not interested in arguing the politics so don’t bother. I was sick anxious and wanted help so I paid
 
I don’t have it, but recently enquired following a mates worries. I was surprised at the cost (pleasantly so). It was going to be £58 pcm for me, with a moratorium period of 2 years based on any related medical interventions in the past. So basically anything new I would be covered, anything related to past interventions I wouldn’t but only after a diagnosis was made, at which point the NHS referal would be immediately made. (So tests, appointments, scans etc all covered to point of diagnosis). After 2 years anything from the past that was not currently being treated would become fully covered again. It was with a company called Vitality. I would use a broker for an individual quote as prices do vary.

A mate recently paid for a private scan for peace of mind as the NHS wait was about 6 months waiting time and cancer was always a potential possibility, he could not be fast tracked into NHS by GP. The CT scan cost him £390 (Nuffield) and the consultant appointment was £200 i think, timescale was 10 days from referal to outcome given. Thankfully he was told all was ok. It was worth the cost for his and families peace of mind. If anything serious had been discovered he would have been referred to NHS fast track system for treatment. It is always worth checking screening costs as if you have a bit of rainy day money, it is well worth spending a few hundred on to avoid your personal paranoia’s eating away at you i guess, for what may be a longish NHS wait and even in the worst case scenarios time is everything. It is queue jumping to a degree and whilst principles are one thing, they are no good to you if your NHS diagnosis is serious and it comes too late sadly.
 
I've seriously thought about getting private health insurance but I think it's a ploy by the evil sociopaths in the Tory party to usher in the end of the NHS.

Once enough of us have private the plan will be to whip away free treatment and quadruple (at least) your insurance premiums.
Totally agree with all this from Colgates... however I fear we have all but passed the point of no return. To slash waiting lists whole swathes of patients are now deemed uneligible for 'non life threatening' treatment from certain sectors, physio, podiatry etc etc so people are faced with the choice of suffer or pay.
We've had a couple of issues in the family recently where the NHS service has been terrible and we've been fobbed off. Some of this is Covid but the tories have been defunding and privatising services piecemeal in the NHS for years. Through no fault of the dedicated NHS staff in some areas the service just isn't there. I am now seriously considering looking at private healthcare but its with an extremely heavy heart.
 
I've got a couple of relatives in NHS hospitals at the moment.

The level of care they are getting is shockingly bad. Obviously people are doing their best, but they are over worked and under staffed.

I'm all for supporting the NHS and keeping it free for everyone, and I know that for serious illness like cancer you have to go through the NHS, but there is nothing more valuable than your health, so

I've been considering getting some health insurance so if I need to I can see a doctor quicker than being on a waiting list, and for non life threating procedures etc.

Has anyone had any experience of going private?

Worth getting insurance, or just have a decent lump sum in the bank for if anything crops up, or a waste of money?
Just imagine you have to pay for care and it’s shockingly bad, it’ll be profit over patient care
 
I’ve been ill since the beginning of May. I had to pay to see a private GP and a consultant as our so called wonderful NHS wouldn’t see me. And I need physio to get right at £50 a go.

I wish I could afford health insurance but it’s upwards of £100 month.

I’m not interested in arguing the politics so don’t bother. I was sick anxious and wanted help so I paid
I doubt anyone would argue in your predicament. I would put 2p on income tax at the higher rates and improve the NHS and social care.
The tories dare not increase taxes but I think they will have no choice.
The private health care system in the USA is awful.
Worth remembering we pay less towards our health care than just about every country in the G8
 
I e got it through work and therefore only pay the tax on it. I’ve used it a numbe of times over the years and I hate to say. But it’s been brilliant . From physio sessions to seeing neurologists to mri scans etc . All fast and efficient .

I hate that we all can’t get the same treatment and speed but selfishly if I need it I’m using it .
 
I doubt anyone would argue in your predicament. I would put 2p on income tax at the higher rates and improve the NHS and social care.
The tories dare not increase taxes but I think they will have no choice.
The private health care system in the USA is awful.
Worth remembering we pay less towards our health care than just about every country in the G8
Quite.
I paid £120 for a GP appointment
Then a week or so later £300 to see a consultant.
After the initial diagnosis and subsequent misdiagnosis by my useless GPs (I ended up in Peterborough hospital for three days just waiting for a scan to come back clear) I then found I couldn’t get past the ridiculous phone triage at my NHS surgery, being someone who suffers from anxiety the peace of mind was worth it.
I now need physio to get right. That’s £50 a throw. I start Monday. I’m months ahead of where I would be if I hadn’t paid.
I guess i should think about private health care as by the time the physio ends I’ll have probably shelled out the annual premium already.
 
I have had it for over 30 years, used it twice. Both to sort a problem for my son.

My sister in law a sister at James Cook would not touch them with a barge pole.
 
Had quite a few jobs in the past where it was included but always opted out due to my principles. Wouldn’t ever want to put my principles onto anyone else and everyone’s situation is different.
Although as I get older, niggles get worse and injuries take longer to heal I can see my principles getting thrown out of the window.
 
Whereas, given the choice, I wouldn't touch James Cook hospital with a barge pole.
Thankfully not had much experience but every time I have they’ve been amazing. Have numerous family members who are worked to their bones at JC due to under staffing. My mother in law is working her weekend off to help as we speak. The solution is to fund them properly.
 
Thankfully not had much experience but every time I have they’ve been amazing. Have numerous family members who are worked to their bones at JC due to under staffing. My mother in law is working her weekend off to help as we speak. The solution is to fund them properly.
Give your MIL my love and best wishes. Have you noticed, not to bring the thread down, that the acronym for mother in law almost spells another acronym meaning something completely different.
 
I have had private health care for years with my job. Hats of to bear for knocking it back.

I have only used it once for a frozen shoulder. My wife had never used it as she doesn't want to abandon the nhs.

My experiences, vicariously, through family members has been positive but they were a fair number of years ago. My mum 20 years ago dying of brain cancer and my dad, double by pass was even longer ago.

A recent experience with my GP when I had a persistent cough was absolutely fabulous. I went because, as a smoker a persistent cough is an early sign of lung cancer. I was sent for a chest xray and blood tests. All negative, thankfully. I then went for a lung capacity test and they couldn't do it because my blood pressure was too high so they spent the next 30 minutes doing a whole barrage of tests including an ecg more blood and a stem talking too.

This was all GP.

They were fantastic.
 
Ive had a few operations at James Cook, been absolutely brilliant in all respects...only one bad experience at the old General, but that was down to one specific nurse..... The NHS has been a life saver (literally) for me .....if you have money and need to jump the queue thats your prerogative ...times are hard at the moment and we have a madman running the country but hopefully when people wake up to this evil lot,things may change for the better...one can only hope the NHS is still around.
 
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