Private health insurance yes or no?

[Popsicle82646]

I'm seriously debating whether to get Private Health insurance for myself, husband and son.

I've done a few quotes and it's £100 ish for the 3 of us a month, that's with the full cover of Unlimited amount of diagnostics
There was a £75 a month option but that's a £500 limit and I think would be used quite quickly say with a consultation fee of £250 and then any scans etc wouldn't be worth doing.

My reasons for looking into private health insurance is recently we have had frustratingly terrible experiences with our GP, it's painful to even get a reply back from them and seems you have to jump through hoops before getting anywhere.

Example one - My husband has had left sided pain in his abdomen since August, several doctors appointments with 3 week wait as classed as routine, and no further forward.
He is still in pain daily, and his mental health is now suffering as he has read symptoms online accompanied with nausea he is worried sick it's Bowel or stomach cancer. He can't sleep, eat or concentrate on anything and we've said to the doctors that we will pay privately for a scan but we need a go referral first.
The earliest they can do a GP referral for us to go and pay privately for a scan is 3 weeks away! He cannot go on on pain and with such anxiety like this for 3 weeks.

It's mental, and we are at the end of our tether.

I'm aware taking our Private health insurance wouldn't be any use on this current issue but for any further conditions or symptoms that may arise for any of the family down the line I have seen first hand how hard it is to get anywhere with your GP.

So my questions are,
Would you recommend private health insurance?
Any particular providers?

Thank you ☺️

Yes absolutely of you can afford it, be prepared for existing conditions to be excluded unless you are prepared to pay more. Look for any that provide you with online or telephone GP services, things like cancer cover, diagnostics, scans, treatments and of course the excess.

You need to get a new nhs gp….ours see us same day for anything from an in growing toenail to suspected cancer ….ring at 8am and you will get an appointment

You often get treatment quicker on the nhs with cancer care….you might get seen quickprivate….but then the treatment bit takes longer

My work offer private healthcare (taxable benefit). I opted out as GP appointments are private which means you pay private rates for medicine, you can’t claim for any issue where you’ve called the NHS within two years and there is an excess to pay for scans etc. didn’t seem worthwhile after all that.

Yes, I would. It’s been invaluable for us over the years.

I have "free" private insurance with work ( I still have e to pay tax). When you take away preexisting conditions (or symptoms which could be), no care for under 3s usually, a whole bunch of other exclusions, the difficulty in getting approvals, restricted list of consultants, better cancer care on the NHS I don't think we've really had value from it. In the past we've had valid claims rejected and it has cost a lot.

While I do t condone it, I fully understand why people were so angry about healthcare in the US.

Absolutely do it. Private care is like night and day and from experience cancer care is absolutely better privately mainly because the speed of tests scans and results not to mention access to a wider range of drugs

@Popsicle82646 We have BUPA cover via DH employment, he started having symptoms similar to your husband and had a telephone consultation, face to face appointment and colonscopy & endoscopy within 2 weeks. So yes for us it was 100% worth it, he couldn't even get through to our GP.
I know we could have paid privately for these tests, it's not cheap but if he wasn't covered under BUPA we were seriously considering it due to the stress and worry.

I would say if you can afford it, yes, it’s brilliant. However do not expect it to be amazing, shiny and no waiting. But it is hands down better than the NHS.

Ours doesn’t cover GP. But it does have access to an online GP (used to be Babylon) which is absolutely worth it. They can refer (but they can’t refer for something that needs GP input afterwards - so they wont refer for a scan or xray but can refer to a consultant.)

You can pay to see a private GP and get a referral that way. And it is easier to choose your consultant.

The best thing for us has been quiet hospitals and not the constant cancellations of appointments.

Have you considered attending an urgent care/minor injury at a quieter time with your husband. They may do bloods and refer for a scan quicker than the GP. Especially if you choose one in a hospital without and A&E (if you have one). Some have OOH GP.

Lucky you. Absolutely not the case here.

Yes get the insurance. You can mostly self refer now too.

DH is still on a NHS MSK waiting list to be seen for back pain. He used his medical insurance through work and had disc surgery 18 months ago!
I also used it to hasten a cardiac procedure so I could return to work.
I have worked in the NHS but would absolutely not be without it.

100% worth it if you can afford it. It’s been invaluable for us, especially the Bupa GP service and self referral for things like physio and talking therapy. Mine is part of a salary sacrifice scheme at work and my two children are covered

Yes to medical insurance! My friend’s appointments for his cancer checkups being cancelled etc … I have had private medical insurance for over 30 years and have used it quite a bit! Saw a gastro within a week - ultrasound the following week - initially referred for ultrasound via NHS forgot about me - 6 months later appointment given for ultrasound at local hospital!

Yes if you can.

Have you looked at Beneden? Low cost alternative healthcare provision. I bought it when I left the private sector for the public sector and lost my private healthcare provided by work. Basically it steps in if the NHS can't respond and gives you access to a UK based GP within 24 hours of request.

Have to add that I've never used it as the NHS has been amazing whenever I have needed it (apart from CAHMS).

This looks very promising. Almost too good to be true. I'm tempted.

It used to be the civil service scheme I believe @MWNA . It has got a really good reputation. I've bought it for me and 2 kids, just in case, since I left the private sector.

Thanks for the replies so far.
Has anyone used Vitality? I'm looking at this one...