Medical tourism is a rapidly growing industry. Long NHS waiting lists and expensive private care have meant that 2.65 million Britons have recently been or are planning to go abroad for medical procedures.
Gone are the days when going overseas for a medical procedure meant solely cut-price cosmetic surgery and a recovery in the sun. Now patients are opting to go abroad for cheaper deals on hip replacements, dentistry and infertility treatment.
Not that it is without controversy – a recent report in The Lancet warned that antibiotics’ days were numbered because of global travel and medical tourism.
According to currency broker Currencies.co.uk, one in 20 people have recently had a medical or dental procedure outside Britain – or are planning one. Sterling’s strength against eastern European currencies and NHS cutbacks have meant countries such as Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic have seen increasing numbers of medical tourists.
With spending cuts expected to hit the NHS, more people might be tempted to look overseas. So how do you ensure that you save without risking your health?
A spokesman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said thorough research was essential before any patient considered going abroad for treatment.
“It is extremely important that patients consult their GP for advice. Patients should also investigate all aspects of their proposed treatment. This must include the health and safety standards of the facilities and the potential impact of long-distance travel on their recovery from all forms of medication or surgery abroad,” he said.
There are several ways to check the standard of care. Dr Edward Watson, a former accident and emergency doctor, said there was no global regulatory body for medical travel, but there is a universal body for accreditation – ISQua (the International Society for Quality in Health Care). Dr Watson set up Medtral New Zealand for Americans looking for more affordable treatment.
“ISQua has members in 70 countries, including Canada, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, as well as Japan and Taiwan,” he said.
”You should also check your surgeon’s training, patient testimonials and published ‘adverse event rates’. You have to be careful with these as they are not independently verified and some hospitals we find do lie. Also, some hospitals talk about their overall adverse event rate. If they do thousands of eye operations and endoscopies then their overall event rate is very low compared to a hospital that does a lot of complex surgery.”
There are also international hospital accreditation programmes. The Joint Commission International (JCI) accredits hospitals, while QHA Trent, a British company, accredits and provides consultancy services for hospitals and clinics globally.
Many hospitals in India and other parts of Asia will have doctors who trained in Britain or America. Not only are their qualifications easier to verify, but they are more likely to speak good English. Check the level of English spoken at the hospital or aftercare facility – communicating with nurses can be paramount.
As well as cosmetic and elective surgery, it is increasingly common for patients to go abroad for addiction therapy, obesity treatment, fertility treatment and hair transplants.
According to figures based on the Medical Tourism Survey on behalf of Treatment Abroad, 43pc of British patients travelled abroad for dental treatments, 29pc for cosmetic surgery and 28pc for other items such as orthopaedic surgery and infertility treatment.
With dentistry, although you can save £170 having a crown in Spain (36pc cheaper than in Britain), it will cost you £33 more to have a dental X?ray, which you will need before and after treatment. This loss can be recouped when considering the cost of an oral examination and consultation – £45 in Britain but free in Spain.
It is also vital that you ensure that any aftercare you require is included in the package, or that you have made arrangements for yourself. The BMA considers this to be as important as the treatment itself. “Patients should guarantee that their treatment includes clear provisions, agreed with their overseas clinicians, for follow-up care after any medical procedures,” it said.
Booking through an agent or operator will mean that you can negotiate all-inclusive packages. Although more expensive, you are more likely to receive a higher quality of care before, during and after a procedure.
TreatmentAbroad.com provides information for patients about clinics, hospitals and specialists worldwide that are attracting medical tourists. Keith Pollard, director of Treatment Abroad, said you should think about how much time you will need for rehabilitation and whether you wish to have a friend or partner support you.
He advised patients to ask operators for a breakdown of costs and to provide them with as much detail as possible about your needs, including medical history, dietary requirements and allergies. Mr Pollard warned that many patients made the mistake of thinking their annual travel insurance policy would cover elective surgery abroad – just because it covers an accidental occurrence that leads to them requiring medical treatment.
Jennifer Thomas, from Direct Line Insurance, added: “Our policies do not provide cover for medical costs if a patient has elected to go abroad for treatment. This includes any costs relating to complications arising from the elected surgery. The main purpose of the cover in our policies is for emergency medical situations arising from accidental occurrences.
“However, should a customer choose to take a holiday for rest and recuperation after the elected surgery, and they have an unrelated accident or illness, cover is provided. Cover would also be provided in the event of accident and illness in the days leading up to the elected treatment but not while directly on the way to the hospital or clinic.”
Patients should opt for a specialist ”enhanced medical” insurance policy such as those provided by Seven Corners (www.seven corners.com), Health Traveller (www.health traveller.co.uk), P J Hayman (www.freespirittravelfor treatment.com) and Angelis (www.angelisgroup.com)
Medical tourism will continue to be on people’s agenda in time of economic hardship and NHS cuts, but anyone considering treatment overseas needs to consider it very carefully: it is a step into the unknown.
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