Most people opt for private medical treatment to avoid being on the NHS waiting list for long periods of time. In August 2008, there were over 500,000 people on the waiting list of the NHS for operation. This does not even include the number of people waiting to be diagnosed before they join the same list. The average wait for most patients is about 4.5 weeks with 7.5% per cent of the patients waiting for up to 13 weeks.
If the NHS hospital in your area has a long waiting list, you could always opt to look for another hospital with a shorter list. The average time between referral and treatment for a patient in the NHS is about 18 weeks. This waiting time is what puts people into the age old dilemma- is it worth paying the extra cost to avoid waiting?
Most doctors recommend using the NHS system to treat urgent illnesses and to use private treatment for surgery that can wait such as hernia or varicose veins.
There are other benefits of using private treatment:
You can choose the specialist that you want and stick to this specialist throughout the course of your treatment
Having individual wards and privacy. Even visiting hours are not restricted
Research has also shown that up to 65% of people choose private medical treatment over the NHS because they are worried about how hygienic an NHS hospital will be. Most people consider private hospitals to be better as they are supposed to be safer and cleaner.
Self-pay or PMI?
There are many factors that you have to consider when you choose to go for the private medical system:
Age
When you pay for PMI, the amount you have to pay increases with age. For example, the periodic premiums for someone who is 70 can be up to 3 times the premiums for a 35 year old. The amount they charge at hospitals however will be the same. Hospitals will give a quotation depending on your situation.
Medical history
PMI covers any serious condition that you may develop during the period of your policy. Any acute condition will be treated immediately. PMI however does not cover any illness that you had previous to obtaining the coverage. For example, if you showed signs of a heart condition before your PMI policy, the insurance will not cover heart surgery.
Exemptions
There are exclusions to PMI policies. These include:
- Accidents and chronic conditions such as asthma or diabetes
- Normal pregnancy and childbirth
- Cosmetic surgeries, dental services and drug and alcohol use
- Fertility treatments or sex change operations
- Routine medical check-ups
All PMI policies should be taken out only after you get some sort of referral from your GP. Certain policies could even restrict treatment to certain hospitals and consultants. However these exclusions will not apply if you are looking for a one-off treatment.
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