The concept of domestic (within a country) medical tourism is not unique. Leading UK health insurer Bupa is expanding the non-insured self pay surgery, and has quietly been targeting both non-residents in the UK, and people from overseas.
The concept of domestic (within a country) medical tourism is not unique. Leading UK health insurer Bupa is expanding the non-insured self pay surgery, and has quietly been targeting both non-residents in the UK, and people from overseas.
Bupa On Demand is pay as you go private treatment. It is for anyone, not just existing Bupa insurance customers; and people do not even have to have any health insurance. Customers tell the specialist unit what type of treatment they are looking for and Bupa arranges the rest.
Customers get a dedicated personal adviser to explain the steps, advise on any diagnostic tests needed, and provide price certainty once treatment has been identified. They then search local quality checked hospitals and Bupa recognised consultants, and quickly book appointments at convenient times. A 24/7 helpline staffed by GPs and nurses is on hand to answer questions or concerns about medical care. The concierge service guides and supports customers through every stage of the healthcare journey
Bupa On Demand is open to everyone over 18, regardless of whether they live permanently in the UK or not.
Many people travel to the UK to benefit from the excellent healthcare available, and Bupa advisers are familiar with the needs of those visiting the country for medical treatment. Bupa On Demand is a self-pay option for private treatment and is open to international customers or those living in the UK temporarily.
It offers a broad range of private treatments and services to everyone from a hip replacement to a hysterectomy. Popular treatments include maternity care including elective caesarean sections; hernia repair; cataract surgery; varicose veins treatment and hip replacement.
It does not offer cancer cover, but that may be added in the future. At present cosmetic surgery is limited to removal of a skin lesion, but there are plans to offer many more cosmetic procedures.
Bupa On Demand was first launched as a pilot a year ago covering 70 treatments, and has been so successful that it now been increased to over 450 treatments. It effectively functions as a domestic and inbound international medical travel agency, with a quality of service that small medical tourism agencies will struggle to compete with.
Despite limited marketing and advertising, it made 10,000 bookings in the first half of 2013. Many of the procedures would not be covered by most private medical insurances. It particularly appeals to younger and less affluent customers.
The leading British hospital groups have decided to promote self-pay by making it much easier for potential patients to see what price they pay for treatment, with fully inclusive packages increasingly being on offer. Most private hospitals offer all-inclusive prices guaranteed to include all fees, an ensuite room, all medicines, inpatient consultations and aftercare.
The Nuffield Health offering promises to match any comparable price from an alternative private hospital in the local area.
Spire International hospital group has over 50 UK hospitals and clinics that treat more than a million patients a year. The group has a dedicated unit for international patients; Spire International welcomes patients from all over the world and works closely with medical referrers / sponsors including country embassies, country health offices and military offices, sports teams, private corporate companies, companies specialising in repatriation to the UK, and consultancy companies handling international medical care.
Health insurer Westfield Health is supporting a local hospital with substantial donations towards The Children’s Hospital in Sheffield, which needs to raise £20million to support a £40million transformation to provide a world class environment at the hospital, making the hospital even better. The Children’s Hospital is part of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and is one of only four of its kind in the country. More than 245,000 patient journeys are made to the hospital from all over the UK and from overseas every year.
The UK is a ‘hidden gem’ of medical tourism, for both domestic and international patients. It has long experience in inbound medical tourism, and despite limited support from tourism and other authorities is a market leader in Europe.
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