Private Medical Care: Who is it Designed For?

It would be fair to say that the medical industry as a whole has received a lot more attention over the past year – for obvious reasons.

This attention has also reversed the spotlight to the private medical sector. As anyone who has received such a quote will testify, private medical care can become expensive and for some, this proves to be immediately off-putting.

For others, the benefits far outweigh the high costs though. In the ‘new world’ we now find ourselves in, let’s take a look at some of the core reasons why some people are still desperate to pledge their faith in the private medical care sector.

 

You get to choose who your practitioner is

For some, this won’t be an issue. For others, it is a dealbreaker.

Particularly if you have a persistent condition, being able to choose who treats you can be a hugely important factor. Some people will do this for familiarity, while others will do this because they want to use a chosen specialist who is renowned in the field.

Regardless of the reasons, there is still a checklist to go through. For example, making sure that your specialist of choice is insured (here is a guide talking about what is medical indemnity?) and has the relevant qualifications are two of the obvious points. Now that the NHS isn’t looking after things and you are self-paying, there is a degree of responsibility on your part to make the right choices.

 

You need to avoid the queues

Sometimes, opting for the self-pay option is more about a necessity. Granted, if you have an emergency condition, the national system will generally put you at the front of the queue. However, there are occasions where each of our definitions of medical emergency varies.

For example, let’s take a hip replacement. Sure, it’s not a life and death situation, but it is something that can wreak havoc with the qualify of your life. If you were to rely on the NHS, you might be faced with a waiting time of months (at one point, it was seven months). Worryingly, with the hospitals still trying to cope with the effects of the pandemic, there is every chance that these waiting times will be longer.

As such, people take matters into their own hands and go down the private route, where the surgery can be performed in a matter of days.

 

You want that added convenience

We’ve used ‘convenience’, but in truth, it could be referred to as added comfort. Make no mistake about it, you’ll be paying for the privilege of private care and as such, providers are keen to offer as many comforts as possible. Private rooms are almost always provided, while the standard of furnishings is also much higher. There is also the fact that many private hospitals have unrestricted visiting hours, which can be crucially important for some patients.

Now, for many people, these effects alone would not be sufficient. When they are combined with the others though, the benefits are there for all to see.