CareHealth - the independent guide to private health care

CareHealth Limited is an independent company, entirely owned by its three directors, which has been set up to explain the changing face of private health care in the UK. It derives its revenue from advertising, but, just like national newspapers, it separates advertising and editorial. As with a newspaper, advertisers may advertise on editorial pages, particularly those that concern their products, but they have no control over the content. Such advertising is identified by logos, which the user can click on to find more about the product concerned.

Contact details for CareHealth are given here.

Growing numbers of people without health insurance are considering private treatment because of concerns about the availability of resources within the NHS. Private hospital groups are responding by promoting self-pay, where people pay for private treatment directly rather than subscribing to private health insurance. They now offer fixed price packages, where patients are guaranteed there will be no extra charges for treatment even if unexpected complications arise.

Health insurance companies are replying by offering new high excess policies. These have much lower premiums than conventional health insurance, achieved by requiring subscribers to pay themselves the first £1500 to £3000, for example, of any claim. These schemes are therefore a combination of self-pay and insurance.

The result is that there is an increasing demand for accurate, independent information on private healthcare options. Then, when treatment is required, there is a need for information on the range of hospitals available and guidance on how to assess them.

Up until now, while medical professionals may have had good understanding of private health providers, there was little information allowing ordinary people to play a constructive role in their own health choices. Much of the marketing material from private health companies is complex, making comparisons difficult. CareHealth aims to make comprehensive information on private health available in a transparent manner. The internet is the ideal method to achieve this.

Of course, any person considering medical treatment needs to take advice from their GP and consultant. We do not endorse any of the private health providers on this site, but provide maximum information to allow prospective patients to make their own choices.

Decisions about medical treatment are more important than most of the other buying decisions we make. We believe that the first priority must be to focus on the quality of medical care and medical resources offered by different hospitals, before considering the 'hotel' conveniences they provide. We aim to give visitors to the site all the publicly available information on these aspects.