NHS Consultants Go Private!
Author: Michael Challiner

The funding crisis in the National Health Service is so dire
that at least 4,000 frontline jobs might be axed say the Royal
College of Nursing. "There's no doubt that there will be an
impact on patients", says their spokesperson. "This is not the
sort of thing that is going to be resolved by cutting back on
chocolate biscuits in the boardroom. The staff that we are
looking at losing are not office based, they're people who are
providing frontline services." Little surprise therefore, that
people in the know are going private for their medical care!
According to a recent survey by BUPA, 41% of NHS Consultants
have protected their medical care by going private. Isn't that
a vote of confidence!

The British Medical Association (BMA) feebly argues that the
Consultants' commitment to private medical cover doesn't
demonstrate a lack of confidence in the NHS.

The Deputy Chairman of the BMA's Consultants' Committee
whispers, "Consultants may also like the anonymity of private
care. One of the problems of being treated in the NHS is that
Consultants might find themselves in a bed next to one of their
patients".

What a joke! Surely, being treated in a bed next to one of
their patients would underline their commitment and confidence
in the NHS. Their presence in a private ward only serves to
emphasize their lack of confidence!

Remember that private medical insurance doesn't provide care if
you have an accident - that's still the role of the Accident and
Emergency Unit at your nearest NHS hospital. The overwhelming
advantage of going private, is to ensure you get prompt care
for planned surgery and medical situations that arise at short
notice, in a hospital of your choice. The case of Dr Sarah
Burnett makes the point.

Dr Burnett is a Radiology Consultant with 15 years service in
the NHS. She chose to take out private medical insurance
because she was unhappy with the level of care she saw first
hand. "NHS treatment is not a pleasant experience in any way –
from the standard of the food, to ward cleanliness and the
chance of catching MRSA", she observes.

Last year during a private medical screening, Dr Burnet was
diagnosed with multiple small tumours in her breast. The cancer
required urgent and specialised surgery. Within hours she saw
the consultant surgeon who organised a skin-sparing mastectomy.
A few days later she was recovering from the surgery.

"I was lucky enough to have exceptionally prompt treatment
because I choose to pay for insurance. Under the NHS I would
not have been screened for breast cancer until I was 50 and
would not have been able to catch my cancer at such an early
stage. The type of surgery I had is only rarely available on
the NHS, depending on the experience of your local surgeon",
said Dr Burnet.

If you, like Dr Burnet and almost half of the UK 's NHS
Consultants, want to sidestep the NHS and go private, it's wise
to take out private health insurance. Choosing the right medical
insurance cover is, unfortunately, quite complicated. You need
to decide the standard of hospitals you would want to use, the
level of cover and various other options. For this reason, you
need specialised advice from a professional medical insurance
broker. These people know exactly what's on the market and can
access it.

Where better to find these brokers than the Internet? Just use
Google or your favourite search engine, to search for "medical
insurance". You'll find all the top medical brokers there. If
you see the insurance company's own sites steer clear - they
can only sell you their own products and you really need
independent advice to be able to identify which, within the
whole market, is best for you.

Oh yes, make sure you chose a site that puts you directly in
touch with an adviser. Ideally, you should talk over your
requirements and chat to the adviser about the best
alternatives. You don't need a home visit as all this can
easily be done over the phone. And buying through a broker
won't cost you a penny more than going direct to the insurance
company. In fact a broker can sometimes be cheaper!

The marvels of the Internet!


About The Author: Brokers Online provide access to medical
insurance quotes (
http://www.life-assurance-bureau.co.uk/private-medical-insurance/
) and loans online (
http://www.life-assurance-bureau.co.uk/loans/ )