Anyone have Private Medical Care? (BUPA, etc)

Cue

Cue

Well-Known Forumite
Curious to hear of any experiences. What’s it like when in Stafford? Obviously the private GP services aren’t terribly useful as the nearest is 30+ miles away, but referral services might be?

Why? It’s an option. I don’t really ever get any health issues (knock on wood) but the wife isn’t always so lucky. After the amount of time she had to wait for physio 2 years ago which really did her in...

More thinking towards employer provided PMI specifically. It’s a darn sight cheaper and often includes pre-existing.

On another note: anyone tried those fancy video call GP apps?
 
Thehooperman

Thehooperman

Well-Known Forumite
I have health cover with Axa PPP through work and wished I had used it when I broke my hip in January. They paid £100 per night spent in hospital immediately with no forms or awkward questions.

I was recovering at a friend's house in Barlaston so temporarily transferred to a GP in Stone.

A Community physio came out to see me until I was fit enough to make my own way to a practice physio. She was really good and the use of the private healthcare would have cost me an excess of c£250 so I choose the NHS route.

The GP at Stone refused to acknowledge the Community physio's letters or emails asking for me to be referred to a practice physio, hence my physio was delayed for 6 to 8 weeks.

I raised a formal complaint with NHS England and eventually the Stone practice manager called me to say I could only be a temporary patient for 3 months and therefore I was no longer their patient and they couldn't refer me despite their GP saying, within the 3 month period, she would.

I rang my own GP and they referred me there and then.

I think if I had gone private from leaving hospital I would have been back to work a lot earlier and be a lot further progressed in my recovery.

The physio treatment I have received has been very good but to get it has been awful. Go private if you can.
 
John Marwood

John Marwood

I ♥ cryptic crosswords
Thehooperman said:
I have health cover with Axa PPP through work and wished I had used it when I broke my hip in January. They paid £100 per night spent in hospital immediately with no forms or awkward questions.

I was recovering at a friend's house in Barlaston so temporarily transferred to a GP in Stone.

A Community physio came out to see me until I was fit enough to make my own way to a practice physio. She was really good and the use of the private healthcare would have cost me an excess of c£250 so I choose the NHS route.

The GP at Stone refused to acknowledge the Community physio's letters or emails asking for me to be referred to a practice physio, hence my physio was delayed for 6 to 8 weeks.

I raised a formal complaint with NHS England and eventually the Stone practice manager called me to say I could only be a temporary patient for 3 months and therefore I was no longer their patient and they couldn't refer me despite their GP saying, within the 3 month period, she would.

I rang my own GP and they referred me there and then.

I think if I had gone private from leaving hospital I would have been back to work a lot earlier and be a lot further progressed in my recovery.

The physio treatment I have received has been very good but to get it has been awful. Go private if you can.
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Any major operation would need to be carried out in an NHS Hospital regardless of any scheme anyone might have because private hospitals simply don't have that level of care

Also you should have been advised that a private hip op would see you lose some of your public after op care.

The logic here is somewhat confusing but stems from the NHS having to 'correct' private health operations.

The NHS is no longer National Health regardless of the above . The Conservative Government have ensured that International businesses are creaming off profits on the most lucrative sectors. And Conservative Governments are there because of Conservative voters. Stafford and Stone are places where Conservative voters live in a majority.

F*cked in the head


So F*cked in the body


Stafford has asked for this
 
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proactive

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
It's good for skipping the initial delay you get with the NHS for seeing a consultant when there's a problem. You'll also be seen by your chosen consultant at the appointed time, rather than having to wait in a queue and actually listened to.

Depending on what options you have you'll also get the kind of after-care that the NHS can no longer afford to provide in terms of rehab etc.

Actual proper operations will almost certainly by carried out in an NHS hospital because private hospitals don't have the facilities or staff to do anything complicated. (If you do your research on mortality/complaint rates at private hospitals,, you'll see that's no bad thing.) It'll just be at a time to suit you and, depending on the hospital you choose you will have a dedicated private ward with your own room.

With the way things are with the NHS now, if you can afford to have it then go for it as the potential benefits in the future heavily outweigh the paltry few quid you'd get for saving the money.

A sad situation really and one unlikely to improve, whichever set of fcukwits is in power.
 
Lucy

Lucy

Well-Known Forumite
I have Aviva through work. You still need a GP referral, but the one I have allows me to have anything that's back related treated by just ringing and asking for an appointment.

I recently had an eye issue, and after the optician had sent a letter to my doctor I was offered an 8 week appointment on the NHS. I decided to go to Rowley Hall, and as I have to pay £100 excess I got the bill. £180 for a ten minute appointment!
 
Chick

Chick

Well-Known Forumite
I have AXA PPP through work. I've only used it for physio treatment but I was pretty impressed. A few years ago they introduced telephone consultations for their Working Body service. This meant that you didn't need a GP referral for conditions affecting bones, joints and muscles, instead you contact them by phone, arrange a phone consultation with a qualified physio, describe your symptoms and if you need further treatment they authorise your referral and give you a list of local practices to contact to arrange your appointment. So when I injured my shoulder playing hockey, within a few days of contacting them I was able to arrange an appointment from a choice of about 4/6 physios within Stafford
 
Carole

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
John Marwood said:
WTF!!

Click to expand...


Now on paper it doesn't sound too bad.
Imagine that some lonely old soul can't be released from hospital because they live alone and aren't well enough to look after themselves.

So they go to someone's house, a sprightly pensioner perhaps, who may have lost a partner and they miss having someone to look after, someone to care for. They would be ideally placed to care for someone coming out of hospital, fussing round them and making home made chicken soup. The money would help with the pension too.

In reality I suspect that there will be merciless people just in it for the money, happy to take £1000 and ignore the pitiful sounds of the hungry person upstairs banging their walking stick on the floor out of desperation.
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Carole said:
Now on paper it doesn't sound too bad.
Imagine that some lonely old soul can't be released from hospital because they live alone and aren't well enough to look after themselves.
Click to expand...
A friend of mine once spent many boring weeks, being occasionally glanced at in her hospital bed, when she could see her own flat from the window. They could have just called in on her when nipping out for a fag break.
 
John Marwood

John Marwood

I ♥ cryptic crosswords
Carole said:
Now on paper it doesn't sound too bad.
Imagine that some lonely old soul can't be released from hospital because they live alone and aren't well enough to look after themselves.

So they go to someone's house, a sprightly pensioner perhaps, who may have lost a partner and they miss having someone to look after, someone to care for. They would be ideally placed to care for someone coming out of hospital, fussing round them and making home made chicken soup. The money would help with the pension too.

In reality I suspect that there will be merciless people just in it for the money, happy to take £1000 and ignore the pitiful sounds of the hungry person upstairs banging their walking stick on the floor out of desperation.
Click to expand...

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