Best private healthcare for women

[BeeAFreeBird]

I'm thinking about changing my healthcare provider. I've been looking into it and an issue that keeps coming up in the negative patient experiences, that isn't accounted for in the more comprehensive service reviews, for example by Which?, is medical misogyny. Given how rampant medical misogyny is - if you're brave take a look at the Fawcett Society's work on the gender health gap https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/the-gender-health-gap-our-stories - it seems obvious that this is one of the issues private healthcare can address i.e., providing care to women to a same standard as is given to men. But trying to find that is producing a complete blank. Interested to hear if anyone has found a health provider/insurer that has it in hand - and also thoughts on who to avoid?!

When I had private health care and needed to see someone, it was left to me to locate a doctor, so I could choose a female if it wanted. The company eg BUPA mainly just sorts out the paperwork. So I don't see how changing provider would help tbh.

But private healthcare isn’t organised like the NHS with a particular culture or separate education system for doctors. Each provider is like a management system for a group of disparate consultants who use it for premises and admin. and to source and pay back up staff.

The advantage of private care is that you can choose your consultant - and it will be a consultant you see, not a more junior member of their team. And if you don’t like them you choose someone else next time. But there will still be misogyny etc because it is embedded in our society and the medical educational system. Your control comes in as you’re paying directly and can shop around. But that’s it.

I have private health care and all they deal with is the paperwork and payment. Women's health issues are well covered by the policy that I can see eg. Menopause, HRT, contraception, gynaecology, etc. I suppose I might one day come up against a misogynistic policy decision where they refuse to cover something but at present it seems unlikely from looking at the schedule of coverage.

They also give me a choice of 3 consultants each time I need one and cover a second opinion if needed. I feel comfortable that if I encounter a misogynist of a consultant who is dismissing or minimising my worries, I can move to someone else. They also cover all sorts of tests and procedures and the consultants have generally been very happy to refer me, since it's all covered by the insurers.

This is AXA, btw. Have been very happy with them so far.

The only thing you can really do is put in the legwork and spend ages researching your symptoms, thinking about questions you have / what you have and options on reputable websites. Presenting as a well informed and educated professional person gets the best result. God help the poor, the humble, the unassertive, the overly trusting and the uneducated.

You google to see if there are any reviews of consultants in the relevant field, if they have been speakers at conferences or have written research papers, if their name appears in court cases where they’re being sued for negligence (!), if they appear to be active in the union and espouse anti women views etc. 😬. Your GP ( especially if private) may well have views or recommendations.

It’s a strange myth that all doctors are equally good or even safe. They vary greatly in quality and experience like any other trade or profession. It’s just that the stakes are so much higher for the patient/ client/ customer.

Thanks everyone, for the helpful thoughts and tips!

The problem.is they all have the same biased education, based on the same lack of research, and have to work with the same drugs that haven't been properly tested on women.

So.you can find individuals with better attitudes, but there's no way round the systemic problems.

There is a huge need for someone to offer a scheme whereby women can pay not for private medical care per se but for a scheme where a woman can be assured if she is in need of medical care she can receive proper advocacy for her right to quality care from a team of lawyers and medical staff who can fight for her . Something like the Free speech Union. Something for Darlington nurses Union to consider ? I know how hard I had to fight for care for my family and that was with the support of family and friends who are med. negligence lawyers and doctors . I'm concerned as I get older the younger family members haven't got the skills or experience to advocate for me .

Just make sure you check the policy very carefully. Most places won’t cover menopause. I did a hollow laugh when I saw mine covered ‘counselling for menopause’ but not actually anything medical related to it (of course!). Luckily I’ve not needed anything but still…fgs!

I cancelled my private insurance as they put an exclusion for stomach pain as I disclosed that I'd complained of bloating to a doctor and had ibs investigations none of which had shown anything untoward . I pointed out that stomach pain was a symptom not an illness or disease and was there for an inappropriate and medically nonsense of an exclusion. Quite a lot of major illnesses end up with stomach pain from cancer to being stabbed or appendicitis. All unrelated. I complaint to the ombudsmen that it was an inappropriate exclusion which rendered the policy almost worthless. Didn't get anywhere