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A world of medical opportunity: And finally

Travel for treatment
   
 

A common-sense guide to the precautions and research you should undertake before committing yourself to treatment abroad.

"It's up to you to make sure that the odds are heavily weighted in your favour, and for that you need to do your homework"
Medical tourism is a child of the internet and cut-price air fares; when each one started there were plenty of warnings about what could go wrong. Your credit cards details could be stolen, your goods might never arrive; your flight will never take off.
 
But now we use both without a second thought. However throw surgery into the mix and you've still got something alarming. Even in the best hands it can go wrong and produce unforeseen complications; so medical tourism still requires a bit of an adventurous spirit.
 
What puts many off right away is that there is no specific travel insurance if you are going abroad for surgery. Most general travel insurers exclude cover for trips where the policyholder is undergoing a planned operation. Specialist provider MakeSure Insurance (0870 156 6682) of Burgess Hill, West Sussex do offer travel cover for medical tourists but will not cover anything related to the surgery itself. Paul Walker, of Essential Health (0870 428 1005) , the specialist broker, says that some small insurers will cover minor procedures close to home - a nose job in Western Europe, for example - for £30 to £40 on top of a basic travel policy.
 
So it's up to you to make sure that the odds are heavily weighted in your favour, and for that you need to do your homework. But if you follow this checklist you've got a very good chance of coming back healthier and happier.

 
  • Speak to your GP or dentist first: they may have some useful advice. 
  • Make good use of websites such as treatmentabroad.net and RevaHealth.com. Both are packed with information and easy to use. 
  • Find out as much as you can about possible destinations and the surgeons who work there.  An American body, Joint Commission International, rates hospitals and clinics; see if yours is on it. Check if there are records of independent inspections. Find out where your doctor was trained and check his/her qualifications and registration with the relevant national bodies.
  • Make sure that your overseas doctor will review all your medical records and talk with you before you leave the UK. A number of clinics now have a link in the UK for a consultation.
  • Find out how many times your doctor has performed the procedure you are going for. More is better. Ask how many of his cases have involved unplanned follow-up treatments.
  • Ask to speak to previous patients.
  • Be clear about what the package you've agreed includes: for instance, travel, surgery, recovery accommodation and subsequent access to specialist treatment, if necessary?
  • You'll be in a foreign country; don't expect everything to be just like home.
  • If routine post-operative care is required back in Britain, make sure you are clear about where this will take place and who will arrange and pay for it.
  • Be clear about what liability the agency or clinic will assume in case of accidents or negligence.

Finally, don't be afraid to drop out at the last minute if things don't feel right or the answers seem evasive or unsatisfactory, even if it costs you money. There are reliable high quality providers and it is well worth putting that extra bit of effort to find them.

Get a quote for treatment abroad

Our "Get a quote" service, enables you to compare prices and providers, quickly and efficiently. Complete the enquiry form for the kind of treatment that you are seeking, select the countries that you are interested in and you will get a response within 48 hours.

Special Report Publishing report on health tourism, distributed exclusively with the Sunday Telegraph

Publisher: Miles Allen
Editor: Andrew Baker
Design & Production: Benn Withers
Print & Distribution: The Telegraph Group Limited
 
This report was published in association with Treatment Abroad . Visit online at: www.treatmentabroad.net
For more information about future reports distributed exclusively with the Daily or Sunday Telegraph contact Special Report Publishing on 020 7629 7080
www.specialreportpublishing.com
Copyright Special Report Publishing ©
 
Material contained in this report is for general information only and is not intended to be relied upon by individual readers in making (or refraining from making) any specific medical decision. Appropriate advice should be obtained before making any such decisions. Special Report Publishing does not accept any liability for any injury suffered by a reader