Covid-19 has irrevocably changed the way we are all living our lives and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, the unprecedented pressure placed upon the NHS required a large number of private hospitals to be requisitioned, and the private sector happily stepped in to meet this crisis.
Now the government has successfully set up a national network of Nightingale Hospitals, private hospitals are less likely to be called upon again in the future. This means that private patients are going to experience much less disturbance than those on the NHS, which will remain on the front line if the pandemic continues.
It is forecast that Covid-19 is likely to increase again as social distancing measures are relaxed and potentially amplified as we move in the winter flu season.
How can PMI help me?
The purpose of any private healthcare policy is to allow members to expedite care and treatment.
To this end, insurers have enhanced their existing services so that members are still able to receive the full support that they need:
Virtual GP – several providers offer virtual GP consultations which allow members to be referred to a specialist from the safety of their own home.
BUPA have seen a 114% increase in the use of the Babylon GP service since the start of Covid-19.
Virtual Consultations – to maintain social distancing and protect vulnerable members, providers are now offering virtual specialist consultations. This ensures that, following a GP referral, members are able to progress care with as little delay as possible.
Cancer Treatment at home – unlike the NHS, private patients have always been allowed to have cancer treatment at home when appropriate. This means that for treatments like chemotherapy and other drug-based treatments, private members are less likely to have interrupted care, unlike those patients on the NHS. The latter have had their treatment delayed or stopped altogether.
In-patient hospital treatment – the NHS waiting list is forecasted to balloon to an unprecedented 10 million people by the end of this year. Thankfully those patients with the support of private healthcare will be insulated from significant delays to treatment and, due to the Nightingale Hospitals, they are much less likely to experience delays if Covid-19 rates increase over the winter.
In summary, those members with private healthcare are in a much stronger position moving forward for fast, effective treatment than those on the National Health Service.
This blog is a guest post from Independent Health Care Solutions (IHCS). We are working closely with (IHCS) in our joint aim to support clients like you and to help you to make an informed decision about your retirement planning.
