If you have read or watched the news over the last 12 months, there is little doubt that you would have avoided seeing something relating to the waiting times on the NHS. Perhaps you have experienced it yourself, are you waiting to see a consultant at your local hospital or are you waiting for a non-urgent surgical procedure that has been cancelled more than once? We are very fortunate in the UK to have the NHS, a system that many countries in the world do not have in place, unfortunately as the population grows and people live longer, the NHS…

If you are insured under a Private Medical Insurance policy which offers a no claims discount and you make a claim under your policy, your insurer will reduce the discount for your plan if not protected. However, there are some claims that don’t affect your no claims discount and we have listed some of these below. Please note, all insurers that offer a no claims discount have their own set of benefits that will not affect the no claims discount and therefore you may not have cover for all of the benefits listed below, subject to the insurer you are…

We are all aware of the effects that over-eating can have on our health and with the average Christmas day calorie consumption estimated to be over 3 times our daily recommended calorie intake, isn’t it time we looked at ways of reducing the calories we eat on this one day of the year? BBC Good Food website have provided a Christmas Day menu that comes in at 2,500 calories which knocks socks off of the massive 6,000 calories per day that it is reported many of us are said to consume. *Why 2,500 calories (kcals)? Government guidelines recommend a daily…

To mark its 20th year of business, healthcare provider April UK has introduced the biggest set of product improvements for their Private Medical Insurance, making their products even more competitive than before. We have listed some of the key beneficial changes below: – 2 man group schemes are now accepted by April UK – More group size bandings have been introduced, meaning the more amount of members included under a scheme the larger the discount available – They have removed the condition of only allowing one person aged 64-74 to have CPME (continued personal medical exclusions) underwriting on group schemes…

We are often asked how much private medical insurance will cost for a person to have UK cover and in honesty this is a question with so many answers. There are so many variables that could affect the premium when you are looking at individual or family cover and the benefits that you want to have in place is really a major factor. Even without looking at benefit levels, your age, postcode and previous medical history could affect your monthly premium. Think about the following? Is there a specific private hospital that you would like to have access to? Do…

With the most wonderful time of the year approaching us, we take a look at four simple ways we can all keep healthy this winter. Keep moving  Even if you don’t feel like it, staying active will not only keep you fit and healthy, it will also generate heat to keep you warm. If it’s not too cold, take a short walk in the middle of the day Look for ways to keep active – get up and walk around, make yourself a warm drink and spread any chores throughout the day. Chair-based exercises are helpful if walking is difficult,…

If you are looking for a provider of health assessments, Nuffield Health offer screening throughout the UK. There are four options to choose from Lifestyle, Female, 360 and 360+. What is a health assessment? A health assessment (sometimes referred to as Health screening) is an in-depth health check carried out by a qualified GP or health and wellbeing physiologist. By carrying out a range of lifestyle, medical and non-invasive tests they will be able to identify your specific needs. The range of tests and the time it takes to complete will depend on the level of assessment you choose. After…

Bupa, one of the UK’s leading healthcare specialists, have recently launched the UK’s most comprehensive self-referral cancer service – Cancer Direct Access, which allows its health insurance policyholders to bypass GP appointments when they experience symptoms of cancer. How does it work?  If a policyholder feels worried about cancer, they pick up the phone and call Bupa right away. They will speak to a trained adviser who will assess their symptoms over the phone using national clinical guidance to advise them on what to do next. Depending on the cover and underwriting the policyholder has in place and the nature…