It also covers pre-existing conditions. Full details of the cover and who is eligible can be found on the NHS Choices web site.


Outside Europe


It is essential to ensure that sufficient and appropriate health insurance is in place. Even if insurers will reimburse your organisation for medical care paid for abroad, health insurance usually does not pay for medical evacuation from a remote area or from a country where medical facilities are inadequate. Always choose a policy that covers not just short-term health and emergency assistance but getting staff home as well. Ensure it also covers pre-existing conditions.


Vaccinations


Even if you are properly immunised against hepatitis A, typhoid and other diseases, you may still be at risk of measles and mumps, especially when travelling to Asia and Africa where vaccination programmes may not exist.


Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)


DVT is a risk resulting from long air journeys. Business travellers should try to exercise rather than sleep on long-haul flights and consider wearing compression stockings.


Infectious diseases and disorders


Studies show that the more you travel, the more you tend to suffer from diseases of the upper respiratory tract, infectious diseases and skin disorders, as well as psychological disorders such as anxiety. It is estimated that up to half of the 80 million visitors to developing countries every year contract Travellers’ Diarrhoea (TD). Poor hygiene is the main cause: you should stick to cooked foods and avoid salads, wash your hands frequently (ideally using an anti-bacterial gel) and drink bottled water.


Malaria-prone countries


Insect repellent and anti-malarial tablets are essentials. Also transmitted by


mosquitoes, dengue fever is endemic in more than 100 tropical and sub-tropical countries, affecting an estimated 50 million people a year. Symptoms include a high fever, headaches, nausea, a rash, or bone, joint and muscular pains. The International Society of Travel Medicine’s web site (www.istm.org) lists clinics in the vicinity of where you are visiting.


To research the potential health risks of every country in the world, including required vaccinations and recommended medication, visit www.nathnac.org, the National Travel Health Network and Centre. Vaccinations can be carried out by your local GP or a travel clinic listed in the British Global and Travel Health Association’s directory at www.bgtha.org


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