Dear SCH Reader, thank you for tuning in to my monthly health news blog for June!

As lockdowns are lifting, with full lifting due in England in just 3 weeks times now, Indian variant spread pending, with more and more of us having had not only their first jab but the complete process including their second as well, going into summer, life is looking a whole lot rosier than it has in what seem’s like forever!

As your attentive Healthcare Consultant as always I keep my ear close to the proverbial ground on all matters health related of course, which during the past month the media has had quite a focus upon that other deadly ‘C’, that of cancer, and as such this month please see gleened articles from The Times newspaper, as well as the largest UK PMI provider, BUPA via LinkedIn, as follows;

14^th May The Times newspaper had an article entitled – Referrals for cancer reach record high; “A record 230,000 people were referred for urgent cancer cancer screenings in March as the NHS began to recover from the pandemic, new figures suggest. The number is the highest number since records began in 2009. However with almost five million people waiting for all planned treatment, including for cancer, health leaders warn that any hope of “chiselling” down the wating list is premature.”

14^th May LinkedIn from BUPA – “50% of the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. Despite this, 50,000 people are currently estimated to have undiagnosed cancer as a direct result of COVID-19, due to putting off speaking to the GP about symptoms and missed urgent referrals. This is particularly concerning as we also know that even a delay of only 4 weeks to getting a cancer diagnosis can increase the risk of death by 8%.”

As the dust is starting to settle on this dreadful past 15 months or so, with underlying health implications, such as ‘big C’, starting to be analysed as above, the industry is appealing to us brokers as highlighted by the C.I.I. (Chartered Insurance Institute) in COVER magazine’s 19^th May article entitled – Insurance brokers must connect with market on relationships; “Honesty, loyalty, understanding needs and a focus on value have been recommended as ways to increase public trust. A report from the Chartered Insurance Institute’s (C.I.I.) New Generation Broking Group has recommended that brokers build on existing good practise by educating consumers about the products and services available.”

As a small completely client focused outfit, without any anonymous call centres, here at Surrey Circle Health we sincerely try to make sense of what can seem like a veritable minefield of Private Healthcare options, always putting our Client’s needs and requirements at the very heart of our working day, as epitomised by a mobile telephone number that hasn’t changed in three decades!

Please cautiously embrace the ever increasing normality of life once again – Enjoy meeting up with family & friends again, eating and drinking out, and re-engaging in your favourite sport or past-time, until next time,

Kind regards,

Daniel Donoghue,
MD, Surrey Circle Health