I Don't Want To Go Through The Nhs Anymore.

[TootToot]

I am wondering how I go about getting my family and I into some sort of private healthcare scheme and if anyone here has any experiences about it. I am sick of the NHS and at the risk of cutting my nose off to spite my face, as it were, I would like to try other options. I feel like I am in a position in my life where I could afford it so if anyone has any price guidelines as well that would be very useful.

[Buenchico]

Bupa is a not-for-profit company, so your payments only go to fund healthcare facilities, rather than lining the pockets of shareholders.

https://www.bupa.co.uk/

[shaneystar2]

We had private health care for years.It was perk of my husbands job. Used it three times in 30 years.Nothing major .Hysterectomy and one bone,one bone density scan ,all for me:) When we retired we carried on paying the premium ourselves but of course we we were getting older and the payments shot up drastically. Then my husband developed cancer .Saw a consultant privately but we were told by our provider that our package didn't include the treatment he needed. We were very lucky to have have seen this particular doctor .My husband was fast tracked .....on the NHS and we told Bupa where to go.
Swings and roundabouts really and private care don't provide emergency treatment like ambulances and paramedics either.
You'll probably have to pay mega bucks to cover all eventualities.
That's just my own experience ,others may have had better luck.

[naomi24]

As shaneystar says insurance to cover absolutely everything is very expensive. We have private health insurance and have found it useful especially insofar as waiting times are considerably less. In our experience private hospitals are also far cleaner, which since my husband contracted MRSA in an NHS hospital, resulting in several operations, is paramount for us. However, some more complex conditions and procedures are better treated by the NHS which generally uses the same consultants and surgeons, but is far better equipped. On one occasion we were actually advised by a private consultant to opt for the NHS. We did, the consultant organised it, and we were fast-tracked - so private insurance has its uses.

[TootToot]

Thank you for the feedback so far. It's really helpful

[diddlydo]

Private healthcare is iniquitous.

[naomi24]

^As is life. That's life.

[Peter Pedant]

BUPA you are quite right is a charity
the trading arm has to be a limited company and then the profit is gifted to the charity ( standard charity law )

Even BUPA has zillions of schemes - and yes they cost less and cover less. One BUPA administrator said - for young families it probably is worth just paying as is (!) oops

Cancer is just not worth it privately
Whilst I was connected to a drip at Christie - ( rituximab at £10 000 a litre) a nurse said - "yup in the private sector you really do hear, "your policy covers you for four bags of this, anymore and you pay yourself!" - oo-er Mrs !

oh and if you pay you get to see the great man himself and not Mr X's clever registrar. ( yeah yeah I know sometimes the registrar is better and sometimes not )

[Peter Pedant]

oh... and you know - private hospitals arent MRSA free ?
yeah I am sure ya did

[woofgang]

We had exactly the reverse of the cancer experience with Bupa, DH got seen faster and received treatment options not available on the NHS. Our local service is poor and the local acute nhs hospital is filthy. He needed to be in nhs for his ongoing kidney and dialysis issues as bupa dont do dialysis. Queen Alexandras and the satellite dialysis unit were struggling but doing their best. I have worked all my working life in the nhs and would give up a lot before I let go of my bupa cover.

[woofgang]

Ps...I checked....bupas cancer cover covers everything until you are cured or die.

[Peter Pedant]

//He needed to be in nhs for his ongoing kidney and dialysis issues as bupa dont do dialysis. //

repeated theme on this thread - anything expensive or you cant make a profit on it - you have to go the NHS !

Oh I loved BUPA - it was SO much posher and better food - but for a liver transplant, I had to go to that awful Brummie place you know where the surgeon tattooes you if he is bored.... other wise no liver.....

and no one has mentioned . . . private obstetrics

[Peter Pedant]

.// Ps...I checked....bupas cancer cover covers everything until you are cured or die.//

ummm I checked as well: from the BUPA site:
"Applies to eligible cancer drugs and treatments covered by your policy."

[RobNorth]

I've used both and didn't notice any difference apart from fewer staff in the BUPA hospital which is typically a lot smaller.
As with so many other things it's horses for courses - in an emergency situation the place to be is a large NHS hospital, where the relevant people, equipment and expertise is more likely available at all times.

[woofgang]

PP in my/our experience that was everything including various experimental in the uk treatments. Its one of the...issues.....circumstances.....aspects......of discussing healthcare is that even though the NHS is a national service, standards and availability vary massively from place to place even in the face of national standards and personal experience is essentially what we have to go on. My GP service is excellent which I know is not the case everywhere.

[Scarlett]

I might be playing the system, but I pay to see specialists when I have a problem. This way I know I am seeing the top person and I can spend proper time with them, not their colleague or a related physio. Then whatever they suggest, I go back on the NHS to have done. This means waiting a long time, but I don't have the money to pay for operations privately. I also have no insurance so I pay for each appointment myself. This way I know I can choose the specialist and see them immediately. Re. dentists, I see the BUPA one and for checkups and simple things, it's no more expensive than the NHS charges.

[Sqad]

Both State and private sectors have their problems.
The medical and surgical care will depend upon the doctors as to their competence..
If you require "personal" in house services, good food, single room, a feeling of importance, then Private medicine is the way that you should go.
My advice....if you live in the UK and can afford private insurance......take it, as the NHS and GP services will deteriorate.

[DTCwordfan]

I have a story on that in GMEB today

[Sqad]

Good morning DTC.
I never go on GMEB as it is full of "nice people" and I am always suspicious of "nice people."..;-)
This morning, i made an exception....I suppose that we are talking about a Colonoscopy? Well that story could be told over and over again in the private AND NHS. Drinking 3 litres of fluid is no fun ( I haven't had one) and all posts on AB say that having a Colonoscopy is easy. BALLS.
I suppose in the case that you describe, she could have a C-T Scan.

[murraymints]

aw Sqad..sob sob !!

[naomi24]

PeterPedant, when my husband contracted MRSA, infection rates in NHS hospitals were far, far higher than those of private hospitals. Fortunately the NHS has since cleaned up (literally) its act. The cost of treating hospital acquired infections far outweighs the cost of employing properly trained cleaners armed with a bit of effective cleaning fluid as private hospitals always have.