Private healthcare - am I doing the right thing?

[RedPandaFluff]

Today is the last day of my cooling-off period for a Vitality health policy I took out two weeks ago. It covers me, DH and DD (almost 9 months old) for £140 a month. This is a lot, but we can afford it, if we sacrifice a couple of luxuries (a couple of takeaways, I'll stop hitting "Buy Now" quite so hastily on Amazon etc.)

Am I doing the right thing by continuing this policy? A couple of things I'm worried about are how high the premiums can get (there's nothing to stop them increasing these each year, although I guess I can just cancel if it gets really excessive) and whether the £1600+ I'm spending on this every year would be better put in our savings pot.

Any opinions or advice would be appreciated!

My daughter had an online consult during lockdown for a chest infection and the prescription was sent direct to my pharmacy to collect and the other one has received an orthopaedic referal in lockdown.
@AriettyHomily coincidentally so have my two daughters in lockdown. Although one was an orthopaedic consultation and was subsequently referred to rheumatology instead. The antibiotics for my other daughter were sent straight to a pharmacy of our choice.
Both on the nhs.

@PourMeADrink

I have private care through work.

I always ask my GP if going private would make a difference. Sometimes it's does and sometimes it doesn't.

However, for consultations I have found I get 30 mins of their time which is way more than I ever get going through the NHS. I never have to wait more than a few days for diagnostic tests and typically they have all been arranged on the same day. Results are through quickly and again I have a lengthy consultation to discuss them.

I think it is definitely worth it if you can afford it.

I have also paid privately for things not covered by my private insurance. I got a consultation and resulting operation within a month when the NHS waiting list was up to 18 months for a consultation. And guaranteed to have your own room when in hospital is worth every penny.

I am genuinely curious as to why you need all these lengthy consultations? Do you not think maybe they’re padding things a bit?

I am genuinely curious as to why you need all these lengthy consultations? Do you not think maybe they’re padding things a bit?

I would rather have a lengthy consultation where you aren't rushed, you can ask questions and you get everything explained to you including various options.

Or do you think 10 mins and feeling like you are being rushed out the door after you have waited beyond your appointment time is better?

@JinglingHellsBells I apologise. My comment questioning whether you worked in healthcare was not intended to be patronising, rather to establish why you felt qualified to state the following in response to my post:

No completely untrue. Consultants are specialists... so are simply not going to be drafted into a Covid situation

The BMA statement I linked supports my posts to the OP and certainly chimes with mine and my own colleagues experiences over the last few months. I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

@RedPandaFluff there's an interesting thread in active conversations you might find helpful. I'll link it below.

@RedPandaFluff

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amibeing_unreasonable/4006438-To-think-it-s-wrong-my-Dh-can-t-have-his-op-done-under-his-private-health-insurance-because-it-s-completely-contracted-out-to-the-NHS

@PourMeADrink

I am genuinely curious as to why you need all these lengthy consultations? Do you not think maybe they’re padding things a bit?

I would rather have a lengthy consultation where you aren't rushed, you can ask questions and you get everything explained to you including various options.

Or do you think 10 mins and feeling like you are being rushed out the door after you have waited beyond your appointment time is better?

I have always been able to ask questions on the NHS.

I have always been able to ask questions on the NHS.

Using both the NHS and private I find private most times is quicker and less rushed. I would always pick private for non emergencies (only because private doesn't handle emergencies). As I get this through work I only have to pay tax on the benefit which makes it even better.

Obviously if you find the NHS to be perfectly adequate that's fine and your choice not to pay over and above normal taxes to go private. I just hope any medical issues I might get happen whilst I am still covered by private medical insurance.

I've had in through work for me but never taken it individually privately as they had a pre-existing conditions exclusions plus cost of it.

I didn't use it for first two years, kept on using NHS but third year I used it lots and it was excellent - much faster and more thorough and wouldn't stop until they had found a solution whereas NHS would kick out with problems remaining, long waits between appointments, different doctor each time etc. But did vary some NHS hospitals where much better than others and once I was referred to private hospital on NHS. Then the waits were longer and they kicked out whilst still having issues but it was pretty good.

Not sure if I would pay for it under covid or if in good health or if pre-existing not covered. Under covid I recently had to go into NHS hospital and it was excellent and similar to private - was given own room and bathroom and checks were very throurough and seen by lots of different doctors. Think under covid lots of private has been taken over by NHS. So in short depends what is included - read the small print and whether you are all in good health and have a good NHS hospital locally. I would be inclinded not to bother under covid.

@FallingIguanas The BMS link covers (in reality) some consultants but not all. That was my point. It doesn't cover those who work solely or mainly privately.

This is all a bit beside the point (not sure if you made it or not) which was that the OP may not be able to get treatment privately in another Covid outbreak.

@RedPandaFluff I wouldn't make a decision to use or not use private cover based on the recent Covid situation, other than in a positive way. Although all private hospitals/ labs were procured by the NHS for treatment of Covid, none was used. Access to some treatments was postponed, but not all, because someone in my family was still able to get important blood tests and scans which would not have been possible on the NHS.

This is highly unlikely to happen again, as the NHS still had capacity and Nightingale Centres were never used. It also cost the NHS a huge amount of money to 'book' beds in private hospitals that were never used and now there is a huge backlog of patients.

My advice is that you take out private cover but shop around.
Once you have a health condition, you are unlikely to be covered for it (within anything from 2-5 years) if your policy is not already in place. So, the older you get, the more likely it is you may have a pre-existing condition which would be excluded from a new policy.

As a 'customer' buying private cover, you can choose any hospital in the entire country (some policies won't include some London hospitals unless you choose to pay a little more). So for major ops, you'd choose a hospital able to do that.

Same for the consultant- you choose your consultant, by reading their bio and experience as well as your Gp's advice.

You also tend to get faster treatments, fast turn around of results (hours often, compared to weeks) , appts at times that suit you, (incl evenings ) and more time with your dr.

Hope this helps with your decision! Good luck with it.

If you choose not to use private, @dontdisturbmenow gives some of the best advice (that all nhs users should do)

"I personally think you gain more by understanding the NHS, for instance knowing that you can ask to go to any NHS hospital in England, regularly asking where you are on the pathway, and able to speak to the secretary and establishing a good relationship for your GP learning about whatever condition you may suffer from so you can ensure they are following the clinical recommendations and referral process as they should."

Look up NHS RTT rules suite for guidance on what Trusts should be adhering to. Quote this at them and they'll get panicky.

Good luck x

Another example of this is Avastin for Bowel cancer, almost always standard privately and proven to help many patients, often needing to be self funded if NHS
This is totally incorrect. Avastin is available on the nhs for bowel cancer.

This is all wrong. You choose a hospital that does have the expertise- it's your choice
Its an easy choice when you live in a big city, not so much when you don't have the option is to be miles away from your home when you could get the same care under the nhs locally.

Untrue. if you choose the right policy it will cover all treatments for cancer
Totally not the case. Of course, you're likely to get more the more costly the policy, but even then you can't just decide what treatment you get and assume it will be agreed.

The best private hospitals have ICU and some have easy access to ICU anyway if they are attached to a large hospital- ie Lindo Wing in London
The whole world doesn't live in London or wants to travel there for a simple intervention. Yet even a simple intervention can result in complication.

A local gentleman had a simple knee replacement intervention in a 'specialist' private hospital. Sadly he had a heart attack on the table. They revived him but he didn't survive the transfer to the closest NHS hospital. He would have most likely survived had he had the surgery in that hospital in the first place. Thankfully a rare event, but one that dors happen.

Many of the points you make above are incorrect. No time to address them all, but you are looking at worse case scenarios with a lot of points and others are just incorrect
And no offence @JinglingHellsBells, bit your comments are typical of a Londoner who forgets there's another world outside of the capital.

Although all private hospitals/ labs were procured by the NHS for treatment of Covid, none was used. Access to some treatments was postponed, but not all, because someone in my family was still able to get important blood tests and scans which would not have been possible on the NHS
Again depends on the nhs hospital and private local ones. All private hospitals in my area closed during Covid, but I had the non urgent MRI I'd been referred to before Covid at my local Trust.

Thanks @Ginfilledcats. I am definitely not against private healthcare, but I think the decision is often made on wrong assumptions of both the nhs and the private care.

Some expensive private care will get you gold standard health treatment especially if in London, but the cheaper ones will see you getting nothing else than what toys get on the nhs and sometimes not even much quicker. You do get a nice individual room and treated like a hotel but if that is important, there are nhs hospitals that offer all individual rooms. Also many private providers cater for nhs patient. Not gold standard, but usually individual rooms too.

I have mine through work.

If I had to pay from it and all I had to sacrifice to cover it were luxuries, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Reasons why:

I had severe depression, not suicidal but could not function. NHS suggestion was worksheets. BUOA paid for 3 months of outpatient treatment at a psychiatric hospital. It really found and fixed the root cause.

I injured my leg a few years ago. Had an x ray which was clear, but it wasn't getting better. Saw GP who couldn't do much but when I mentioned private cover referred me for private physio. 4 treatments and not improving so private mri. Turns out it was broken and needed fixing.

DS developed weird symptoms. I was worried but NHS was a wait and see approach, private health care and we saw a dr that week. Luckily all fine, but the reassurance was worth it

If you play sport and are a really active family, then yes, keep it. I've had a knee done on it, gallbladders and a tonne of physio. My husband is using to have a tonsillectomy, my daughter is having grommets instead of the year waiting list. Husband has sleep apnea and bypassed a 9 month waiting list for the initial study, and then was given a mask on the NHS. It's awful that if you have £150 spare a month, you get so much more, so much faster than others, but that's just the way it works.

Again depends on the nhs hospital and private local ones. All private hospitals in my area closed during Covid, but I had the non urgent MRI I'd been referred to before Covid at my local Trust.

I don't understand what you have said here @dontdisturbmenow. Is it that you had an MRI on the NHS before Covid closures, or during Covid, or privately during Covid closures?

If it was on the NHS during Covid at its peak you were very very lucky. A friend of mine with a chronic and painful condition has had to wait 6 months to get a scan on the NHS because the entire dept closed.

All private hospitals that I know of closed during Covid.

I'm not sure what your point is? Having had private cover for 35 years, I'd put it ahead of holidays, clothes, new cars etc etc.

I've seen first hand with myself, my H, my children, my elderly mother, how treatment has been faster, arranged too suit our diaries, not the NHS staffing rota, how we can choose who we see.
One family member has had scans and tests after major surgery that are not done as often on the NHS.

Private hospitals are rated according to their ICU facilities and anyone who is having an operation is wise to check this out. The family member who had major surgery went to a top ranked hospital 40 miles away rather than 3 others closer, because of the ICU facilities and also the expertise of the surgeon.

I don't want to make assumptions and look as if I'm being argumentative for the sake of it, but some of what you have said suggests you've not used the private sector.

If it was on the NHS during Covid at its peak you were very very lucky
It was in May. Not all hospitals were struggling, again, the situation in some parts of the UK was very different to that in London.

You are indeed making assumptions. I don't want to disclose where I am but not one private hospital here has an ICU. I wouldn't want to be miles away from family if I needed surgery.

My husband has private care through his job which he had before we married. I don't and don't care much for it as I've always had excellent nhs care locally. Waited a bit longer for non essential treatment but nothing that has held me back.

I also think too many people are assuming they get top care and the best doctors just because they are treated in a private hospital.

As said, private care can vary widely, depending on location and costs of policies. All well if people are prepared to pay to have a top policy, personally I prefer to pay into my pension.

@dontdisturbmenow The friend who couldn't get her scan or further treatment does not live in London.

I also think too many people are assuming they get top care and the best doctors just because they are treated in a private hospital.

The point is, anyone who had private cover can choose their doctor. When my family member had major surgery we didn't go with the surgeons at the nearest private hospitals as they were not experienced enough. The priority was to choose a surgeon who had pioneered a certain type of surgery (and who also worked at a high level in the NHS.) And yes, it meant they were an hour away from their home, but that wasn't an issue.

The difference was that the surgery was carried out more quickly, there was 1:1 nursing care, and physio, none of which would be available on the NHS. The actual facilities were better, the cleanliness was better, the food was better (and that IS important for recovery.)

The NHS is good for life-saving acute illness. It's not good for 'nuisance' conditions that impinge on quality of life, where you might be waiting 6-12 months, compared to 2 weeks for surgery.

I'm sorry you don't want to 'see' the positives and every post is negative from you.

I'd put my current health top of the list rather than waiting for treatment and saving for a day that might never come (retirement)! And many people don't have to make a choice between the two- for someone young, the monthly outgoings for private care can be around £35-£45.Most people spend that on takeaways or eating out each month.

The NHS is good for life-saving acute illness. It's not good for 'nuisance' conditions that impinge on quality of life, where you might be waiting 6-12 months, compared to 2 weeks for surgery.

I agree with this. And there are lots of conditions that impair quality of life but you would have to wait a very long time to get them assessed on the NHS.

For me another difference is that I can go straight from GP to consultant (and for certain things I can even skip the GP part) whereas prior to private health care I found GPs often took a wait and see or a try with medication first before referring you on.

We have insurance through DH’s work with vitality and I’ve had a few issues with them not wanting to pay out for things.
If you’re having to cut other things out, I don’t think it’s worth it.

I'm sorry you don't want to 'see' the positives and every post is negative from you
@JinglingHellsBells, it's you who is on a mission to convince readers that private care is best for everyone just because it works for you and your family.

I've said that in my opinion private care is worth it in some circumstances not all. Waiting times for treatment on the nhs are very different depending on where you are. I've always been seen very quickly for anything that requires prompt treatment and only waited longer for things that could indeed wait months. I know it's not the case everywhere.

It's the same attitude you have about the menopause and hrt. Because it's been a life saving treatment for you, you challenge anyone who dare says that hrt is not fabulous for them and constantly insist they should go on it even when posters go I to detail as to why it's not the treatment for them.

@dontdisturbmenow You are getting a bit personal now with your comments and off the thread here (referring to other parts of the forum.) Best if we agree to disagree, before it gets unpleasant.

If you can afford it I would keep the policy running until you can't afford it.

You can't plan for when you need it and you can't forecast the situation in the nhs to be able to support your needs, especially where it's not emergency care.

I've just transferred into private through Vitality after 3 nights in the NHS and being told I need an op that has. 12 month wait. There are 12 theatres at my hospital that usually do 20 surgeries each a day and only doing 10 each due to additional deep cleaning requirements. Even though I'm high priority my wait time should be reduced to about 6 weeks, but private can do it in days.

I am on morphine and an extremely restricted diet until his happens so it's important to me and my family that it's as soon as possible.

Don't forget with vitality the benefits you get too though, they have an associated value if you make the most of them. I get mine through work but have added DH as it's worth it for us.

Generally NHS is good for chronic conditions and serious emergencies and conditions. eg A & E is used by everyone .
Private only really covers elective conditions and as there can be long
waits on the NHS people often opt for private via insurance or on a one-off payment. Orthopaedic and Eye conditions being common examples
The demand for these specialisms are likely to increase with an ageing population
and in SOME areas they already say the NHS will
no longer ever be able to offer these services again due to a backlog
before covid.
Other non-life threatening conditions eg dermatology are so badly
served that unless it is cancer you may have to go private.
The experience of a consultant will be lower in a smaller GENERAL
hospital For example a general surgeon will not have the opportunities of one who works solely in a larger teaching hospital just doing one or two specialisms so what are you paying for?
You may be able to pick your Consultant which could involve going elsewhere but how will you get there and back eg after certain treatments?
Employers fund private as it gets employee back to work quicker
and it is cheaper to buy in block. That is all.
So it does often come down to the area and demographics.
Our small local hospital is not good. Fortunately we have medics
in our family without whom we would not have survived !