18 | BEAT THE ABROAD BATTLE
www.nitravelnews.com The Early Days
“Check my xray is a web based service for people who are injured abroad, and to provide them with a reliable consultation, no matter where in the
Associate Editor Sarah Pickering sat down with newly launched Check my X-Ray to find out how they can help those caught off guard when abroad...
Off on holidays. Enjoying the sunshine at the beach. Walking home and boom; you’ve tripped and hurt your arm. ‘What do I do now?’ you say, reeling in pain. You make your way to the nearest A&E. Doctors suggest there may be a break and order X-rays. Results are back and the hospital is asking to treat you. The hospital bill is racking up and you’re at a dead end. Or are you? We’ve all heard the horror stories of those abroad stuck in hospitals after disaster strikes- many of which are without travel insurance and are watching their accounts drain due to hospital fees. Unsure on whether your holiday can continue or if you need to go through surgery abroad? This is where Check my Xray comes in to help. Founded by local NHS orthopedic surgeons Mr Kevin Donnelly and Mr Michael Eames, Check my Xray does just that to help elevate the stress and often pricey worry of dealing with injuries aboard.
world they are.” Says Mr Donnelly. Coming from a background of a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Donnelly recognises the vast amount of patients arriving at NHS fracture clinics after being injured abroad. “Reoccurring themes that [patients] come back to us with is just a lack of information caused by language barriers, caused by unfamiliar healthcare systems, and they just didn’t know where to turn”. He continued, “They felt pressurized and rushed into making decisions. Potentially very costly decisions to make if they’re not insured or if they are in places their GP card isn’t going to help them and we’ll see them back and It wouldn’t be unusual to see things that would be done to a standard below what we would expect in the NHS for us as surgeons that’s a real heart sink moment because we kind of know that that person isn’t going to get fixed because they did not have timely, efficient care and that’s where we step in.”
How it works If you’re injured abroad and wondering what to do next, Mr Donnelly encourages going to an A&E and getting checked in the emergency room, having basic first aid, after that, once you’ve had your X-rays, then you can upload your X-rays to its web based platform. With the mobile-friendly service, upload your x-ray pictures to the website and then decide where you would like a video, telephone or written consultation. “Select either to have a video consultation with us or a telephone consultation, or we will provide a written summary of your injuries, explaining things in a very easy to understand way. Simple terms, take away that kind of confusion that can happen on holiday and let you know what your options are.” said Mr Donnelly. The new platform is a first-of-its-kind, with the expertise of orthopedic surgeons ensuring you are receiving the best care. Not yet available with travel insurance, the Check my X-ray team are hoping that in the near future, travel insurance providers will be encouraging injured parties to consult with the website before making costly decisions abroad. “Quite often we will say, look, you don’t need to have your treatment abroad. You’re fine to come back here. and that’s really what we’re doing. Avoiding unnecessary treatment abroad because people recover better when they’re in their local area. They’ve friends , they’ve family, they’ve people supporting them, they’re getting treatment they can trust and that stands for a lot.”
The Cost Factor “There’s nothing else like this world-wide in specifics to orthopedics. And the thing is that yes, initially this is an out of pocket expense for people, but the value is in knowing it’s taken out that confusion and uncertainty and just saying yes, you’re free to enjoy the next couple of days of your trip or come home maybe a bit sooner and get your treatment here, rather than spending potentially a few extra weeks out of pocket expenses.”
executive art Check my Xray. “If
you want video
says Keeva Clifford, a
consultation
sales or
telephone consultation that’s £225. We’ve kind of worked out on the basis of what you would expect to pay here if you went to a private clinic for a consultation.” The cost for consultation is thousands less than pricey surgeries abroad, which may not even be necessary. “If you want something that’s just a written review then that’s for £125. The only problem with the written review is it doesn’t allow some opportunity to ask questions. But if you do have questions after that, you can upgrade to a video consultation that will cost you a double cost. You’ll also have an online portal. Patients can log in to your portal. That’s where all your kind of consultation reports will be stored that you can access whenever you want.” This secure way of keeping track of all documentation, especially when travelling, keeps confusion and detail at the forefront of aftercare , which Check my Xray ensures can be used to provide for your GP or if you need a referral for your local fracture clinic.
Whether being used to question care which you do not understand, do not believe is up to standard of the NHS, or general queries due to language barrier, Check my X-Ray hopes to be there to provide advice and care as if you were injured in the UK & Ireland. “There’s no ulterior motive here, It’s just better outcomes for everybody” You want to know more about Check my X-ray, visit
www.checkmyxray.com
July/August 2025
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