The hidden cost of health tourism Tuesday 28 December 2010
Health tourism
The hidden cost of health tourism Each year hundred of thousands of Britons go overseas for medical treatment.
In this week's Scrubbing Up, medico-legal adviser, Dr Emma Cuzner, warns that people considering surgery in the sun should ensure they are fully protected, because they could be left in the lurch if things go wrong.
The idea of travelling to Europe, and further afield, for medical treatment has taken off in recent years.
The organisation Treatment Abroad claims that around 60,000 UK patients travelled abroad in 2009, including 25,800 going for dental treatment and 17,400 planning to have cosmetic surgery.
Surgery in the sun
The phenomenon of health tourism is here to stay it seems, thanks to a combination of factors such as budget flights, lower prices for some private medical treatment compared to the UK, and an increased awareness of what is available.
The problem is that while more patients are aware of what can be done to enhance their appearance, surgery in the sun is not without its pitfalls.
One surgeon recently expressed concern that patients who go abroad may not always receive a proper assessment before their operation, or the aftercare they need.
Newspapers have reported horror stories about the emotional, financial and sometimes physical scars of errors in overseas treatment, including stories about failed breast implants and dodgy dental work.
Plus, there is the risk of returning from the trip with an unwanted souvenir - the Health Protection Agency (HPA) recently issued a warning about a new antibiotic-resistant superbug - NDM-1 - being brought into Britain by patients having surgery in India.
Dr Emma Cuzner Medico-legal adviser“Do you know what follow-up there will be from the surgeon carrying out the procedure and what will happen if you return to the UK and something goes wrong?”
Whether they take place at home or away, all medical procedures carry a degree of risk. However, for patients who have been treated overseas, problems may not even become apparent until they return to the UK.
While those who require emergency treatment on returning home could be seen within the NHS, patients who need further corrective cosmetic work would usually have to pay for this to be carried out privately in the UK or take this up with the clinic where they had the original treatment.
That is why it is so important to ask questions before signing on the dotted line with any clinic for private treatment.
For example, do you know what follow-up there will be from the surgeon carrying out the procedure and what will happen if you return to the UK and something goes wrong?
Does he or she speak Englis
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment