Why would you need a private medical insurance when you already have the NHS, surely it’s just throwing money away? Wrong. There are so many reasons as to why it is infinitely more beneficial to have a PMI policy over the National Health Service.
Whats wrong with the NHS?
Its not that the NHS is bad, it is quite simply over run and struggling in a big way. Over the recent years the NHS has become more and more drained and as a result, its quality is slipping. A major problem facing the NHS is overcrowding, causing a lack of bed availability and a sharp increase in patient waiting times.
An article published by the BBC (NHS Health Check: Nine in 10 hospitals ‘overcrowded’ this winter) this winter saw a huge overcrowding problem. Around nine in ten NHS hospitals were overcrowded with 137 out of 152 being above the safe level of bed occupancy – the NHS says that 85% occupancy is the safety limit.
This is a big problem for the general public. It means people can be waiting weeks with worry and discomfort before they are able to see their GP let alone receive treatment. It also means there can be a drop in the quality of work done within the NHS. This is not because of bad employees, but simply because doctors and GPs are to overwhelmed that standards can begin to slip.
What are the benefits of private medical insurance?
The reason people take out a private medical insurance policy is for peace of mind and the knowledge that should anything ever go wrong, medically, they will be able to being the process of dealing with it extremely quickly. Not only is it much faster than the NHS, it gives you much more control, you decide when you have an appointment and where. Here are just a few other benefits of PMI:
- Fast diagnostic tests – with additional Out-patient Cover, you get the reassurance of a quick and full diagnosis.
- Higher quality hospitals – receive access to a nationwide network of private hospitals, all with extremely high standards of hygiene and patient care.
- Privacy – gives you comfort and privacy of your own room, eliminating concerns about shared wards.
- Quality consultants – receive the best possible care from quality-independently selected consultants.