With the ongoing struggles in the NHS and long waiting lists, you may be wondering what private healthcare options are available?

Our guide offers an insight into private healthcare and what to expect...

What is private healthcare?

Private healthcare gives you access to medical care and treatment in a private hospital, clinic or facility.

The sector is made up of hospitals and clinics which are run independently and separately to the NHS.

Where the NHS is free to anyone at the point of use, private healthcare works differently and is a service that needs to be paid for. This may be through self-paying, you may have a scheme in place in your workplace or you may opt for private health insurance.

There are a whole range of reasons why you may choose to be treated in a private healthcare facility as opposed to the NHS, some of which include:

• Quicker access to medical treatment
• Choice of where you can be treated
• Choosing the date for a hospital operation
• The treatment you require may not yet be available on the NHS

Typically, choosing private healthcare also means you have an en-suite room and sometimes a la carte dining options. It would provide a more comfortable and pleasant experience.

The private healthcare sector has a range of different independent companies who offer private facilities, some of these include Nuffield Health, Circle Health Group and Spire Healthcare.

You also have companies that offer private health insurance - it’s important to note that these are separate to private healthcare facilities.

The insurers would provide cover for your visit, treatment or service required in a private facility. Some key health insurance providers include: Aviva, AXA, Bupa, The Exeter and Vitality.

What can I expect from private healthcare?

You’re probably wondering what to expect from private healthcare that makes it worth paying for and the differences to the NHS.

There are some key differences between private and the NHS. One difference is quicker access to treatments that the NHS deems as non-urgent. The current average waiting time to start treatments with the NHS is 14.2 weeks. For a lot of people this wait is off-putting and can mean that your quality of life is affected whilst living with an illness or injury.

Another key difference is access to breakthrough treatments. Often a private healthcare facility will have access to breakthrough treatments that aren’t yet available on the NHS.

This can be particularly beneficial when it comes to cancer treatment. Private Health can give you access to drugs that have proven effective but are not yet available on the NHS.

Other private healthcare benefits include:

• A personalised, comfortable and efficient experience
• Modern facilities
• Private rooms with a TV and en-suite bathroom
• More flexible visiting hours

How does private healthcare work?

Whilst it will vary depending on which private healthcare provider you go with, you could expect the process to look similar to the one below. 

1. Research and choose your private healthcare provider – you may look at things like location, the services offered, their reputation and reviews.

2. You’ll then have an initial consultation, this will involve discussing your healthcare needs and the opportunity to ask any questions you have.

3. Once you have a diagnosis, your consultant will outline a treatment plan tailored to your condition.

4. You’ll then determine how you’ll pay. This can either be through out-of-pocket payments or you may have health insurance that’s ready to cover your expenses.

It’s important to note though that it's recommended to have an active health insurance policy when you are in good health and before you have any symptoms, diagnosis, treatment or advice.

5. Next, you can book your treatment, appointments, tests or whatever has been recommended by your consultant.

When you have health insurance, the process will work slightly differently. You’ll need to communicate with your insurance provider in the process of obtaining private healthcare.

This would be classed as making a claim and you’d need to refer to your specific insurer to understand the steps. However, making a claim would typically involve:

1. Visiting a GP
This can either be your usual GP or you may want to use the free digital GP service that’s included in your policy. They’ll be able to provide you with an open referral, which will state what specialism is needed.

2. Contacting your Insurance Provider
You’ll then need to contact your insurer, where they’ll check if the treatment you need is covered on your policy. Once you have the go ahead, you can book and have the necessary treatment at your private facility, with peace of mind that your insurance provider will settle your bills.

How much does private healthcare cost?

Whilst it varies, typically private healthcare isn’t cheap, which is why insurance can be a great option to consider. It can be much more affordable than you think and give you peace of mind that your future health is protected.

Here are just some example private healthcare costs of the most popular treatments with a private healthcare provider (by Circle Health Group)

• Hip replacement surgery – starts from £14,193
• Knee replacement surgery - starts from £14,888
• Cataract surgery (one eye) - starts from £3,018
• Colonoscopy - starts from £2,627
• Gallbladder removal surgery - starts from £7,658
  
  

It’s always worth considering how these costs would affect your financial situation and if self-paying when you really need to, it is of course an option.

You may have a workplace scheme that provides support with private healthcare. The other option is health insurance.

Health insurance would cover the expensive bills of treatment and can be much more affordable via monthly premiums.

Aside from settling healthcare bills, private medical insurance also has many benefits to take into consideration. These include: 24/7 access to a digital GP, comprehensive cancer cover, discounted gym memberships and fitness products and mental health and well-being support. 

There are many leading health insurers in the UK, and you may need help finding the best policy for you at the best price. Using a free, comparison service like Usay Compare can take the hassle out of researching and comparing health insurance policies.

How to get private healthcare?

Accessing private healthcare may be more simple than you think, but based on how you’d choose to pay. Here is what to expect:

Self-paying

Self-paying for your private healthcare treatment may be an option if you've been saving or unexpectedly need to go private to get back to good health quicker.

You can access private healthcare by booking an initial consultation at a private healthcare facility of your choice. From here you can decide on your next steps and follow the advice of your consultant to get where you need to be.

This works like a pay as you go service, and can be used for many things such as: seeing a private GP, having a private health assessment, for physiotherapy or dental care or mental health support.

However, some of these may be included in the core offering of an insurance plan or as an optional add-on. It may be worth considering health insurance options to see how it can help you save and the benefits you'd receive.

Health Insurance

If you have a health insurance policy, it will be a slightly different route.

There is less flexibility in terms of choosing a facility and booking an appointment. Usually, you need a GP referral to get started as your insurance provider will want this.

You’ll also need to speak to your insurer first to make sure what you need is covered. Going straight ahead without speaking to the insurer runs the risk of treatment not being covered and you needing to foot the bills.

It’s really important to always refer to your policy details to avoid this.

Health insurance is not provided by the private healthcare facility, this is a separate company who provide the insurance. They are different, however, can work together to make private healthcare more accessible.

Who are the private healthcare providers in the UK?

There are a number of different private healthcare providers in the UK. Some of the main ones you can expect to deal with include:

• Nuffield Health, an industry-leading network of 37 hospitals
• Circle Health Group, offers the UK's largest national network of over 50 private hospitals
• Spire Healthcare, run 38 hospitals and over 50+ clinics, medical centres and consulting rooms

These will not provide health insurance, this would be done separately with an organisation such as: Aviva, AXA, Bupa, Freedom, The Exeter, Vitality and WPA.

These are the UK leading health insurers. They offer a range of health insurance policies for individuals, families, or seniors.

There are a lot of insurers offering policies, which is when using a health insurance comparison service, such as Usay Compare can come in handy. We compare all of these leading UK insurers and will help you find the best policy for your needs at the best price for you.

This is a free, no-obligation service and you have the time to consider your options. You’ll benefit from advice from an expert adviser, who can discuss all your options and make any recommendations to help you to make an informed decision.

When looking into private healthcare options, it's important to consider all your options and what would be best for you.

Self-pay may be a better option for people who like the freedom of pay as you go. Other people may find health insurance suits them better to provide peace of mind and make monthly payments more manageable, along with the extra benefits that are included too. 

It's always best to do research, or talk to a free, expert advice service before making any decisions and to make sure all the information is clear. 

If private health insurance is something you’d like to consider or get more information on, you can have a chat to our expert advisers to get a free, no-obligation quote.

Fill out the form below to get a quote or give us a call on: 01285 864670.