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Innovative healthcare & alternative remedies Going private


With the NHS coming under increased pressure in recent years, more and more of us are turning to the private sector healthcare. Barnaby Dracup looks at the case for and against


T


he UK’s private healthcare industry is growing, with around £30bn spent on its services each year. And with


the growth in the self-pay private healthcare market (no insurance programme necessary, and often no need for a GP referral), it’s showing no signs of stagnating. Here we take a look at some of


the pros and cons of the private healthcare market.


PROS One of the main advantages is that you’re not subject to the same waiting times as on the NHS. Being treated privately means that a waiting time of up to 18 weeks for non-urgent referrals won’t apply. With private healthcare, you’re


often able to choose your consultant, as well as the hospital at which you want to receive your treatment. Depending on your circumstances, even those without healthcare insurance can shop around and pay one-off costs at private medical facilities in order to receive the consultation and care required. Depending on your care package


and/or provider, most private hospitals offer private rooms with


en suite bathrooms, unrestricted visiting hours and four- and five-star dining menus. Tere’s no need to worry about your privacy or being on a mixed-gender ward. Customers will often have their own nurse on call for any requirements. You’ll also be assigned your own


consultant (or you may choose) and you’ll often have direct contact with them as you like. Plus there’s a greater continuity of service and care as you can be seen by the same consultant throughout your treatment. Depending on your package and


service provider, you may be assigned a specialist team who can advise and direct you throughout your healthcare journey. By shopping around, advisers will be able to furnish you with the information you need to get the best cover.


CONS Emergencies will nearly always be dealt with by the NHS, in a public hospital, as private hospitals don’t have emergency departments. Additionally, if your chosen


consultant also works for the NHS, you may not experience the availability of consultation that you might expect.


10 MARCH 2019 • HEALTHCARE INNOVATIONS


GETTY Where required, once you’re


referred by your GP, you’ll have to check with your insurance company to see if you’re covered under their policy before arranging any consultations or treatments. Also, not all conditions will be covered. Depending on your healthcare policy, provider and any previous medical conditions, you may only be covered


for short-term illness or injury, so it’s important, when considering a package, to be aware of this. With so many companies, options


and policies out there, it can often be difficult to know which will meet your needs. As advisers at the insurance companies are only legally allowed to discuss their own policies, it can be time consuming


to do your own research — it can even be beneficial to ask your financial adviser for assistance when comparing offerings. Finally, you can’t know what you


may need cover for in the future and may develop an illness that isn’t covered. Bear in mind — you get what you pay for, so you may fall foul of future developments.


Jane got her life back again thanks to IQoro®


The untold number of people that suff er from swallowing diffi culties – dysphagia – is huge. As is the number with snoring and sleep apnoea – sometimes in conjunction with dysphagia. Diffi culties like this can hit anyone, and at any age. Now there is a neuromuscular treatment, IQoro® slack internal musculature and allows people to regain their former quality of life.


Jane was eating lunch one day when she was struck by intense heartburn. She recalls that episode.


- It was extremely unpleasant and returned several times during the week.The problem worsened, she became nauseous, her voice was rendered hoarse and croaky, and food she had just swallowed started to run back up into her pharynx.


- I raised my head on pillows at night, but it didn’t help. I hardly slept at all, and was always tired. Jane lost her zest for life and became apathetic. Eventually she visited the doctor, and ended up returning home with antacid medicines that seemed only to worsen her condition.


- The medicine was terrible. I felt so bad and the tablets gave me stomach upset, she said. Jane’s family grew increasingly concerned. They could see her suff ering,


and her dramatic weight loss – eight kilograms in just a few weeks. During another visit to the doctor, Jane underwent a gastroscopy, and was diagnosed with a Hiatus hernia. But the formal diagnosis only led to new medication, which eased the symptoms somewhat, but did not restore her to her previously sound health. Around this time, feeling desperate, she turned to the Internet.


- I came across a Facebook support group of people with the same health issues, and from there I learned of a woman who had been hugely helped by a Swedish treatment method. The method, based on research, and the information on the site, felt reliable to Jane. IQoro® treated the underlying problem causing the symptoms – the actual hernia itself - not just symptoms.


- That really caught my attention, so I ordered one. A few days later Jane started her training with IQoro® few weeks she felt that she had turned a corner.


, which trains the . After just a


- The horrible sensations of nausea, heartburn and the refl ux went away. Further - more, I could keep my food down, and could fi nally sleep, and could discontinue with the not-very-useful medicines. I hardly dared believe it, that I had overcome this, but time proved that I had. Jane returned to her normal weight, as well as her sunnier outlook on life. To date she has been training for about fi ve months with IQoro®


. Asked if she is completely recovered, she sounds profoundly grateful.


- I’m not 100% yet, but I’m almost there. I’ve had heartburn a few times but it turned out that I had over-trained a little, you should only train three times for 5-10 seconds before mealtimes, three times per day. It could also be because I’d started drinking coff ee and eating chocolate again, when maybe I should have waited a little while longer. Otherwise, I can now eat everything these days, with no discomfort at all. Asked if she would recommend IQoro®


to someone with the same diffi culties:


- Absolutely! Training is simple, and you can avoid medicines. It might sound like a cliché, but I have got my life back again thanks to IQoro®


.


Learn more at www.iqoro.com Contact: info@iqoro.com, tel. 07518 511620


IQoro.com www


/1IQoro @IQ_oro


Internationally patented and made in Sweden


CE - classifi ed, medical technical product, class 1


NO SIDE


effects


No side effects


Breathe. Eat. Smile. Talk.


Jane, together with her daughter


• EASY TO USE • 1½ MINUTES’ TRAINING PER DAY • SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN EFFECT • ALSO WORKS FOR SNORING & APNEA


Sounds too good to be true? Hear what our customers say at iqoro.com


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