BUPA experiances?

DAVEM · 6 Feb 2007 at 16:52

Hi,

Anyone had any treatment from Bupa? If so how was it, did it feel better than the NHS, was it worth the cost, was it quicker, do you get private room?

Any comments much appriciated

Cheers

David

Rotty · 6 Feb 2007 at 16:54

it it better , generally yes

quicker , usually yes

private room , yes

worth the money , only you know that

HEADRAT · 6 Feb 2007 at 16:57

Remember that emergency medicine (A&E) and pregnancy aren't covered by BUPA, to be honest all of the "real world" occasions when I or anybody in my family have need medical care it's always been covered by the NHS.

HEADRAT

DAVEM · 6 Feb 2007 at 16:58

Hi just to clarify I'm not talking about medical insurance, but rather a one off payment for an operation.

Cheers

David

Sirrel Squirrel · 6 Feb 2007 at 16:59

The first thing they ask you for is your credit card details, Consultant fees are expensive too as they aren't normally covered by the insurace, I went to sort my acne out and a 5 minute consultation was £120, I went back 6 weeks later for a 2nd consultation to be told I'd been put on the NHS list so I could get the drugs I wanted for free, this consultation of under a minute cost £100 :eek:

that was just for a dermatologist, god knows what other consultants would charge!

It is nice to know I have the insurance though because if I needed an operation rather than pills I'd get seen very very quickly and obviously an operation would be covered, in an A+E situation though you'd go to a normal hospital and be seen on the NHS.

Rotty · 6 Feb 2007 at 17:00

you will need to have a good reason to use them on a one off basis as it will be very expensive ( e.g. knee relacement £10,000 )

Haircut · 6 Feb 2007 at 17:04

Sirrel Squirrel said:
The first thing they ask you for is your credit card details, Consultant fees are expensive too as they aren't normally covered by the insurace.

Consultant's fees are included by the insurance.
The only case where this wouldn't be true is if you had a policy with an excess and the fee came out of the excess, or you had a policy with a limited amount of outpatient cover (usual for a lot of corporate policies) and you had eroded all of your outpatient benefit.

If you choose to just have a single operation privately and pay for that as a one off cost then I don't think the consultant's fees would be included.
Nor would any post-op physio should you need that.

Samtheman1k · 6 Feb 2007 at 17:34

I have used BUPA a few times (via insurance, not payment) and found them to be excellent every time. You get an en suite private room (normally with free sky sports!), the hospitals are quiet, service is great and the staff happy and professional and will do everything you want. They just seem to have more time to dedicate to looking after each patient, I'm guessing that the nurse/patient ratio is better in private hospitals.

Even the food is nice! The hospitals are very clean and tidy and seem to be very well run. Oh, and waiting lists are vitually non-existant and you can choose the date/time to suit you.

In terms of fees, expect to pay around £100 for a consultation (may need more than one) and around £1000 for an actual 'quick' operation, such as keyhole surgery to repair damaged cartiledge in the knee, or multiple wisdom teeth removal (both under general an). The anesitist is an extra few hundred too. Physio afterwards would be extra if required.

Samtheman1k · 6 Feb 2007 at 17:37

Sirrel Squirrel said:
Consultant fees are expensive too as they aren't normally covered by the insurace

This is not true, unless you have a very basic level of insurance. I've always had my consultant fees paid for. It probably depends on the condition mind, I wouldn't of thought that acne would be covered by Bupa anyway.

HEADRAT · 6 Feb 2007 at 17:37

Remember though if you start to "die" on the operating table you'll be moved to a NHS hospital as BUPA do not have "intensive care" units in many of their own hospitals.

If they carry out a procedure and it start's to go very wrong you'll find yourself back in a NHS hospital.

HEADRAT

squawkBOX · 6 Feb 2007 at 18:35

Re: Acne, that usually isn't covered under private health care. I remember reading something along the lines in the terms and conditions that this is not covered.

One question I ask you all - if you do have private health care, how much do you usually pay? The amount appears to vary between those that get it through their workplace.

Docaroo · 6 Feb 2007 at 18:43

Rotty said:
you will need to have a good reason to use them on a one off basis as it will be very expensive ( e.g. knee relacement £10,000 )

Like not wanting to wait 3 years for the NHS to do it?? /sceptic mode

Raymond Lin · 6 Feb 2007 at 18:45

Rotty said:
it it better , generally yes

quicker , usually yes

private room , yes

worth the money , only you know that

Yup, my dad had an hernia back in November.

NHS time - 1 year + wait

We saw GP on a Thursday, got a letter a week letter from the GP to set up consultantation in a private hospital the following Wednesday, Operation 2 weeks after (could've been the day after consultation but he had another surgery and was away the following week.

Total time from GP to operation was 4 weeks, check ups a month after.

He had his own ensuite room, Sky TV, a 3 course menu to choose from. Nurses came to check on him every 15 mins after surgery, teas and biscuits trolleys twice a day. It was like a 5 star hotel basically but the operation. The place was spotless, everyone was friendly.

It was all covered by Bupa, the policy he is on covered it.

Bes · 6 Feb 2007 at 18:49

squawkBOX said:
Re: Acne, that usually isn't covered under private health care. I remember reading something along the lines in the terms and conditions that this is not covered.

One question I ask you all - if you do have private health care, how much do you usually pay? The amount appears to vary between those that get it through their workplace.

I get BUPA through work but appear to have to pay about £350 per year tax for the privelege

Isn't the fact I pay more tax than the average worker in the UK and NEVER use the NHS and claim zero benefits not enough?! :mad:

DAVEM · 6 Feb 2007 at 18:50

Raymond Lin said:
Yup, my dad had an hernia back in November.

NHS time - 1 year + wait

We saw GP on a Thursday, got a letter a week letter from the GP to set up consultantation in a private hospital the following Wednesday, Operation 2 weeks after (could've been the day after consultation but he had another surgery and was away the following week.

Total time from GP to operation was 4 weeks, check ups a month after.

He had his own ensuite room, Sky TV, a 3 course menu to choose from. Nurses came to check on him every 15 mins after surgery, teas and biscuits trolleys twice a day. It was like a 5 star hotel basically but the operation. The place was spotless, everyone was friendly.

It was all covered by Bupa, the policy he is on covered it.

Thats exactly what I wanted to hear, thankyou

Vanilla · 6 Feb 2007 at 18:51

Used them around 6 months ago for an eye operation (full on General Anes. one)

Everything was great. Own room, good food, I had one of the countries leading consultants (asked for him specifically as he operated on my eye many years ago).

Work pays for it all via insurance

Samtheman1k · 6 Feb 2007 at 18:51

Bes said:
I get BUPA through work but appear to have to pay about £350 per year tax for the privelege Isn't the fact I pay more tax than the average worker in the UK and NEVER use the NHS and claim zero benefits not enough?!

If you got an extra £50 a month instead of BUPA, would you be expected to pay tax on it?

So if you have a serious accident and need A&E treatment (which BUPA don't do), where do you go?

Bes · 6 Feb 2007 at 18:55

Samtheman1k said:
If you got an extra £50 a month instead of BUPA, would you be expected to pay tax on it?

Well it certainly wouldn't cost me near enough £1 a day!

Samtheman1k said:
So if you have a serious accident and need A&E treatment (which BUPA don't do), where do you go?

True I still resent paying tax for a benefit my company wishes to give me though.

Samtheman1k · 6 Feb 2007 at 19:00

Bes said:
Well it certainly wouldn't cost me near enough £1 a day!

Yes it would as to be in a equal position you would have to also pay for BUPA out of your own pocket. You're effectively getting BUPA for £1 per day which is cheaper than their normal subscription rate.

Raider · 6 Feb 2007 at 19:00

I've only had BUPA membership for a couple of years now, but it's already come in handy.

I had a kidney stone early last year. Got referred to the local BUPA hospital for an ultrasound and eventually an X-ray. Both times I was booked in within a couple of days. Both times I got to speak to the consultant for a while (rather than a grumpy nurse), and both times I got fresh coffee and biscuits and up-to-date reading material.

All I can say is, if I was ever more seriously ill, I know i'd rather me there than at the local NHS hospital!