PAYING FOR PRIVATE HEALTHCARE

People seek private health care for a number of reasons, the most common being:

• A wish to avoid lengthy NHS waiting lists
• Concerns about hospital infections such as MRSA
• Dissatisfactions about NHS treatment
• Wanting a second opinion 

The advantages over conventional NHS treatment are:

• Faster treatment access
• A choice of when and where you can be treated
• A choice of consultant 

There may be also access to treatments not available through the NHS. 

How you can access funding for Private Treatment

• Work provided healthcare package
• Self pay
• Hospital cash plans
• Critical illness insurance (particularly appropriate for self-employed people)
• Income protection insurance
• Life insurance
• Travel health insurance
• Personal accident insurance
• Health cash schemes
• Finance schemes
• Cosmetic surgery insurance
• Dental insurance 

www.which.co.uk offers reports on different kinds of health insurance. 

Occupational/Employer Funded Healthcare Insurance

Many employers offer private healthcare cover to their employees as a matter of course. This helps them reduce sick days lost to the organisation or arrange necessary medical treatment at a time convenient to the employee and the employer. Such cover would be part of your contract of employment but if you are unsure, check with your Human Resources Department.