Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Allie Woodward — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 06:35:33 GMT

My husband has Benenden healthcare as he is a civil servant. Excellent value. No exclusions, and kicks in after a six week or unacceptable NHS wait. Had my varicose veins done a couple of years ago. We did almost use it for my husband back in 2008 for imaging but then the NHS stepped in and within two days they had diagnosed hydrocephalus and removed the benign brain tumour causing it. I am a BIG fan of the NHS as a result!

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Braden Collins — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 05:42:40 GMT

The other thing I love with private health insurance in Australia is the private room in the private hospitals. when my wife gave birth a month early the little bloke was a bit crook but we at least had a private room so no other babies waking anyone up crying, and lots of nurse support to help. On our last night there they even did a candlelit dinner for us with wine and beer which was a nice touch.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Chris Geddes — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 18:30:41 GMT

Covered by employer, but would pay for it if not. Recommend it to anyone.

Spent a week in an NHS hsopital once in a bay with 5 other patients. One was next to me, aged 40, was dying of cancer, on Liverpool Care Pathway, noone visited him, kept talking to me, quite distressing. The other 5 bless them all had dementia (which was odd as it was a GI ward) so were soiling themselves at all hours of the day at night, propositioning the nurses, kept "losing their budgie" and the like, telling the nurses I was evil and that I had a lion in the cubicle with me....they often had to be pinned to the bed by the nurses..I got virtually no sleep for a week.

I spent another week in AMU once with drunks and drug addicts arriving and being interviewed at all times of the day and night so got no sleep there either. I also kept getting moved at 3am etc so they could meet targets on keeping men and women separated. Saw a nurse getting attacked by a patient.

Spent a month in a private hospital once on TPN after developing paralytic ileus following GI surgery, was very very glad that I was there and not back in the ward with the dementia patients (nothing against them, poor people, but it was hell).

Not saying all NHS stays so bad, I was unlucky, but still.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 11:25:15 GMT

[quote user="bob lehner"]I have a policy which only kicks in if the NHS can't guarantee to provide the appropriate care within 6 weeks. [/quote] This is what I will probably do when I retire, meantime I need instant healthcare.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

bob lehner — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 10:32:28 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Trouble is it is getting more and more expensive as I get older [/quote]

I have a policy which only kicks in if the NHS can't guarantee to provide the appropriate care within 6 weeks.

Works out a heck of a lot cheaper than a standard policy. I think the NHS is generally OK for per-acute problems - but not for anything less urgent and this is where my policy scores.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Miriam Lodewyks — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 21:30:51 GMT

I pay my own BUPA cover, but am member of BVA, so get it discounted. Am nearly 40yo, female, non-smoker: sets me back about £46/month. Not too bad, but I agree it should qualify for tax relief as it does take some of the burden off the NHS....

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Nicola Lawlor — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 20:33:59 GMT

Another one here who would like it but can't afford it. Used to have it but something had to give financially.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Martin Atkinson — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 15:51:39 GMT

As sole charge and injury prone (although thankfully thus far blessed with exceptionally good health), I feel it is indispensable A couple of occasions NHS orthopaedics departments would have had me immobile (leg in traction and arm in cast) for weeks. Private orthopod had me back to work within days. Also being able to have an appointment at the time and date that suits me is priceless. Trouble is it is getting more and more expensive as I get older and at some point the premiums and exclusions I have accept to keep them under control will eventually outweigh the benefits, hopefully that won't be until I retire. I provide healthcare for my nurses if for no other reason it allows me to put the whole lot through the practice although there is a degree of altruism there and gets them sorted faster. Given the choice however I'm sure most youngsters whose health is generally good and believe they are immortal would rather have a pay rise.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Joyce Whitehead — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 13:46:02 GMT

I too needed to tick two boxes, as I have it funded by our own practice (so I'm self employed and the business pays) but we also pay for our longer standing employees. I've used mine on a couple of occasions to avoid such long waiting times. One of those was for my son who went suddenly blind in one eye. NHS appointments were repeatedly cancelled so as he is covered under my policy we used it to get a much quicker set of investigations and answers (retinal burn of some sort in his macula, possibly due to a fellow pupil with a laser pointer). It is worth the money we spend I feel. We are with royal sun alliance.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Niall Taylor — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 12:52:47 GMT

I've answered the poll sort of but I needed to check 2 boxes, not just one - life can be so unfair

Cheers,

Niall

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Anthony Dennison — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 12:52:03 GMT

Looking at getting it once I'm more financially stable hopefully. What with playing rugby, I don't want to be stuck waiting for treatment if it's going to affect me working.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Clive Ansell — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 12:42:24 GMT

Don't have it, but looking at getting it.

I have only ever needed to see 2 consultants with 2 related conditions. On both occasions the waiting times were unacceptable, months rather than weeks, so I paid to see them privately for the initial consultation. I was then transferred back to their NHS lists for all investigative work - means of paying to jump the queue, scandalous really

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Bob Russell — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:31:28 GMT

Don't want it but do not feel I can trust the NHS to get me back on the road quickly enough so have no choice!

Seems nutty that there is no tax relief on it. i would not need it if I was employed. It is a business expense as far as I am concerned!

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Anne Seawright — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:19:00 GMT

My situation also isn't covered. I don't have private healthcare, would like it, but can't afford it at the moment.

Re: Do you have or provide private healthcare?

Sylvia Wilson — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:43:34 GMT

Hi Clive

My situation is not covered by your poll. I could have private health cover (on a policy provided by my partner's employer) and would like to do so, but my medical history makes it prohibitively expensive.

Sylvia