Would you prefer a job with private healthcare offered

[justasking111]

Say there were similar jobs going you applied and got two offers. Would you take the one that had a private healthcare package.

YABU the government need to provide free healthcare at point of need

YANBU I am concerned enough to take advantage of private health care to take the job for peace of mind it brings

I also have GP access through my works HR/occupational health. I have to use them if I report sick, which I wish I didn’t have to. I limit my use of them to things I’m contractually obliged to. I see it as a disadvantage when I’m doing my job ‘pros and cons’ list. Which I do frequently.

I would take the one with private healthcare. I have it now and it's the one thing that keeps me from looking elsewhere.

I get private healthcare through work. Never used it until this last week. I needed a prescription for a condition that has flared up again.

Made the appointment online for the same day, just an hour or two later, and had the prescription emailed to me.

Did it again on New Year's Eve and it was just as quick and easy. From making appointment to collecting my prescription was about 45 mins.

Fantastic service. I'm thinking of paying extra now to include my DC.

My husband has private healthcare with his job and we recently got into a right mess with it as they don't seem to have access to your NHS medical records.

My husband was due to have surgery for a fistula and had told the consultant at the beginning of the process that he has a heart condition and made this really obvious all the way through. Consultant also said no problem.

We get to the day of the operation and the anaesthetist refused to go ahead because of the heart condition.

As you can probably imagine one very upset husband that has lost faith in private healthcare and decided to go down the NHS route

I would 100% choose a job with private medical cover, especially with the current state of the nhs. Unless of course the other job paid more to cover the cost of paying for this privately.

Aswell as the benefit to myself (and family), I value a company that offers benefits in general to its employees rather than not.

Go for the private healthcare.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer out of the blue in 2020, aged 39. Mid pandemic. Everything was delayed on the NHS. But privately, all was easy: I had a breast clinic appointment within 72 hours of calling the insurance. Diagnosis 7 days later. Surgery 10 days after that. Chemo started 4 weeks later, and radiotherapy a week after the end of chemo. Zero delays, so all I had to worry about was to turn up to my appointments. And honestly, I don't know if I could have handled chasing up appointments and experiencing delays on top of the panic and fear caused by the cancer diagnosis itself!

More recently, my DS7 had a bad case of impetigo, but my GP couldn't see him - no appointments available for the whole week. I realised I had access to a private GP, so we had a virtual appointment within an hour. I had a prescription in my inbox minutes later. The only alternative here would have been to go to A&E... and wait for hours, plus use NHS resources that we didn't need to use.

I hope this helps.

I would.

I still believe in the NHS, but if we're going to be stuck with a Tory government again in the future, it's too important to leave our family healthcare to chance.

We've had a back pain episode and three mental health episodes, all of which have been prioritised downwards by the NHS but would have been capably provided for by private health insurance.

I'm devastated for those who don't have the money to choose, it's not my ideology, not my political preference. But if the electorate keep voting for dumb shit like Brexit and Boris Johnson, all you can do is look after yourselves and your families.

☹️

Yes - would now seek it out.
I think all companies should offer it actually. It would be in their interests. Even simple access to a private GP.

As an aside - I have a Russian acquaintance who owned a company. He booked all his workers into a healthcare place for two weeks every year. On the plus side it meant full body checks, diet and health advice, access to sauna and pool and gym. Scans, check-ups, lots of sleep - and a sort of a holiday. Fantastic.

The downside is it was compulsory - and there was a strong element of Big Brother about it. The company had access to your health records.

Interesting.

Forgot to say we paid privately for it all as self funded. We're not super wealthy but had literally no choice.

Having spent my entire (well qualified) career in the NHS, usually working 12 hour days, as well as paid well above average tax over the years, I feel a bit short changed.

But the mechanisms are still wrong, mainly because the NHS is the softest of a number of other systems designed to aggressively defend their financial position.

The social care time bomb is killing off the NHS, which is the tail wagging the dog. Of course the government has no vested interest in taking on the gerontocracy of baby boomers who want to have their cake and eat it.

It's grim. Pay twice. 😬

Also I used to live in a country where there was no nhs or equivalent and private healthcare was a standard thing with employers always providing it.

Unfortunately I can see the uk going down that path eventually as the nhs is no longer fit for purpose.

I've had it with my jobs for years but to be honest unless there was no other discernable difference it wouldn't be a factor. I'd rather pay out of pocket if otherwise the job had better culture, progression opportunities, exciting responsibilities and a decent package.

My husband has it too, we barely use it.

Last time I had scary mole issue even the private waiting times were so long my friend who is a dermatologist just brought his equipment home and burnt it off in his living room...

I wish they'd just fund the bloody NHS adequately and I'd pay more taxes readily.

Yes, I would take the one with healthcare included.

Its a must for me now. I would only consider taking a role without it if the salary increase was more than enough to pay for it privately. It’s been a god send for me & my family over the last few years. My DS dislocated his shoulder twice playing his sport (that he potentially wants to do professionally), the NHS told him to stop playing the sport. He had surgery to stabilise it, months of physio with a specialist sports injury clinic and is now back to playing his sport. Without PM cover his dream would have been over. DH has had knee surgery and I’ve had lots of investigations, seen several specialists all before I’ve even heard anything from my first NHS referral.
All that said, my DD needed surgery last year from a specialist neuro-surgeon with an intensive care stay afterwards. This was done by the NHS in an NHS hospital. Due to how specialist it was, she was seen quickly at the children’s hospital and surgery done within a few weeks. So both have there place for me.

That’s a lot of money though - over £2500 per person per year plus the Class 1A NICs.

£30,000k per year plus £4.3k tax.

For 100 employees

Anyone who has access to private healthcare should be using that in my opinion. It’s morally bankrupt to expect the taxpayer to fund you for things you could afford to provide for yourself. Anyone who can afford private healthcare should buy it and the NHS should be left for those who need it. We, as a nation, can’t afford the NHS for everyone so it should be reserved for those with no alternative.

Yes!

It is a lot of money. I have it for myself because my company pays for it but it is too expensive to include dh or dcs. Personally I get more use out of Private Dental care but my company does not offer it.

NHS is better for emergencies and critical conditions. If I paid twice (taxes/NI and private healthcare insurance), I would absolutely chose the best service for the condition and sleep well at night.

I have (theoretically) private health care through work but I haven’t bothered with the paperwork. It doesn’t cover the things I’d need it to (ADHD in particular is excluded, which would be the main thing that I can’t get the NHS to take seriously and need to use private medicine for) and doesn’t cover the kids. So it’s pretty much pointless.

I’d rather have better employer pension contributions, frankly.

Oh absolutely, I don’t disagree at all. But if everyone who could afford private healthcare bought it and used it when it was the best option for them then the strain on the NHS would be greatly, greatly reduced. I think there needs to be more encouragement to go private to save the NHS rather than it being presented like you’re some kind of traitor.

Here we go !!!

Do you not see the similarities to the US healthcare system ???

Those with 'good jobs' get healthcare ... the rest are left to flounder in inadequate provision

The fucking Tories have achieved their aim !!!

ok, thanks for clarifying. I thought it is often the same doctors in that NHS doctors can also have a private practice. Maybe the hospital is fancier (and some government hospital have a private wing) and the wait lists are shorter but consuming private medical does not mean we are relieving the strain on NHS.

Our most cherished provision has been systematically under funded and mismanaged until it no longer works.

I waited 12 hours for a 999 ambulance for my mother aged 87 with a dislocated hip last night..

I am meant to say ' the NHS doesn't work we need something different' ...
Only I don't.

I say we need a proper government whose cronies don't have a vested interest in private health... and proper reorganisation of our 'free at the point of need from cradle to grave...

Let's start by taxing all those who should but don't pay tax and then pay nurses a wage they are proud of so they do t want to work bank... (doctors too obvs)

Well in Wales we're labour always have been our health board issued a critical incident today so tomorrow all scheduled surgeries and non urgent clinics cancelled for the second time in a month. We can't even get bank nurses tonight and tomorrow they've put out on Facebook see screen shot below