The NHS is in the middle of a funding crisis. According to the Royal College of Nursing, at least 4000 jobs may well be axed as a result. A spokesperson recently said: Theres no doubt that there will be an impact on patients. This is not the sort of thing that is going to be resolved by cutting back on chocolate biscuits in the boardroom. The staff that we are looking at losing are not office based, theyre people who are providing frontline services.It looks like the NHS consultants have little faith in the NHS standard of care, as a recent survey by BUPA demonstrated. 41% of NHS consultants have private medical care, a shocking statistic that definitely demonstrates a lack of confidence in their own service. The British Medical Association (BMA) seems to disagree with this hypothesis, the Deputy Chairman of the BMA’s Consultants Committee said: Consultants may like the anonymity of private care. One of the problems of being treated in the NHS is that consultants might find themselves in a bed next to one of their patients. We think that that is a poor argument, and those NHS consultants, if they have pride in their service, should be proud to occupy a bed next to one of their patients. Why would they want to go into a private ward?Private medical insurance is not just there to help you in case you have an accident. If you do have an accident, you will still need to go to the accident and emergency unit at your local hospital. The reason why people go private is to ensure that if they are diagnosed with a serious problem that needs timely attention, they are likely to be treated far quicker if they go private. This case study proves the point.Dr Sarah Burnett has worked with the NHS for 15 years, and she is a radiology consultant. She was not happy with the level of care she saw in the NHS, so she decided to take out private medical insurance. She said: NHS treatment is not a pleasant experience in any way – from the standard of the food, to ward cleanliness and the chance of catching MRSA.Dr Burnett’s found that she had breast cancer last year, during a private medical screening. She needed urgent surgery and within hours she saw a consultant surgeon, who ensured that she received a mastectomy promptly. Just a few days later, the operation had been carried out and she was recovering. She said: I was lucky enough to have exceptionally prompt treatment because I choose to pay for insurance. Under the NHS I would not have been screened for breast cancer until I was 50 and would not have been able to catch my cancer at such an early stage. The type of surgery I had is only rarely available on the NHS, depending on the experience of your local surgeon.If you have doubts about the NHS and the possibility of you receiving a poorer service than you would if you are private, then it would be a good idea to take out private medical insurance. There are many different kinds of medical insurance, however, and many options to choose from. For example, you need to choose which hospitals you would like to be treated at, what level of cover you want etc. We advise seeking independent advice from a medical insurance broker before signing up for a policy, because they have the specialist knowledge required to find the right policy for your individual needs.The best place to look for these policies is the Internet. There is a lot of information on there and simply by typing medical insurance into a search engine, you will find a long list of top medical brokers. It’s best to use the brokers rather than the companies direct, because they can often get cheaper deals, and they can provide an independent advice service.Some of the web sites can put you directly in touch with an independent adviser, and within 24 hours you could be talking over your individual requirements over the phone. There is no need for anyone to visit you in your home. You will get the insurance you need, at the price you want – all through the Internet!
