There is An Alternative To The NHS Treatment Lottery

In light of the anticipation of easing lockdown rules and widespread vaccination rollouts, reports show that there is a NHS backlog of nearly 10,000 referrals. The latest research from the Health Foundation suggests that 4.7m fewer people were referred for routine hospital care in the first eight months of 2020, compared with the same period last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted NHS services.

Pall Mall Medical wants to highlight the real cost of private healthcare as GP surgeries and local hospitals find themselves overwhelmed and overworked, trying to get through the backlog of appointments. As the COVID vaccines are being rolled out and GPs are being put under even more strain, many healthcare check ups are suffering as a result. With 34% less people being referred for routine hospital care, the impact that this will have on healthcare services, particularly cancer detection and care, is worrying.

During these uncertain times, an alternative healthcare option might be the only way for people to be seen by a doctor or specialist. This worry has sparked a sales boom in private medical insurance plans across the UK. Companies like Benenden, or Vitality – which saw a 211% rise in sales up to November 2020 – are offering people the chance to jump the inevitable NHS queue. If it was your children’s health at stake, or your own, you might well take the same view.

Pall Mall Medical are keen to raise awareness of the struggle that the NHS is under and want to reveal to others how private healthcare can be affordable and accessible to everyone. With Pall Mall Medical introducing a range of special offers on services that the NHS are struggling to provide, it is more important now than ever before that we do what we can to help the NHS.

Stats on increase in demand for private healthcare services:

• Pall Mall has seen a 96% increase in monthly enquiries since July 2020, compared to months prior to COVID beginning.

• Pall Mall has seen an 37% rise in patient bookings from July 2020, compared to months prior to COVID

Pall Mall Medical’s GP, Dr Chun Tang explains:

“I am a long believer in the NHS, but through my experience as both an NHS and Private GP, I feel that the NHS is struggling to cope with the increasing amount of pressure it’s facing (largely down to COVID-19) – and that now more than ever it needs the support of the private healthcare sector, which includes providers like Pall Mall. If patients can afford to go private, they will not only get faster diagnosis and treatment, they will also be helping to relieve some of the pressure on the NHS.

Private Healthcare offers no queues, no waiting time, no referrals and no anxiety/uncertainty, waiting for follow up scans/treatment. With Private Healthcare, the service is faster and takes place in excellent quality facilities with many experienced consultant specialists. Additionally, GPs deliver a first class service to patients.”