Who is the most important person in your life?

Most parents tell me it's their kids.

Those without children, remark it's their partner, parents or pet!

And yet far fewer (and I've asked this question to literally hundreds of people) will respond with a resounding me.

So why is that?

Why are we so focussed on others?  of being needed, wanted, on being of service that we pay such little attention to ourselves?

So let me ask you another question: What would they do, if you weren't here?

Who would look after you? 

Do all the things you do? 

Manage your business, if you were unable to work?

In this episode, I got to 'hang out' with Jimmy Creighton - A young, fit, sports fanatic whose got an infectious passion for helping people live healthier, safer and longer by having private medical insurance. 

Health insurance is designed to cover some or all of the costs of private healthcare, from consultations with diagnostic scans and tests through to treatment. Having a health insurance policy gives you peace of mind that you or a family member will have access to the very best treatment at a time and place that is convenient to you. Health insurance, or private medical insurance (PMI) as it is sometimes known, may be provided by a company to their employees or it can be purchased on an individual or family basis.

Whats wrong with the NHS?

In theory, nothing.  We've got a world class National Health Service, that we have access to. However, demand for hospital treatment outstripping capacity even before COVID-19, it is no surprise that the demands of delivering care during a pandemic have led to significant backlogs and longer waits for patients.

How bad is the problem?

High waits for treatment are not new. Prior to the pandemic in February 2020 there were already 4.43 million people on a waiting list for care.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the combination of suspension of non-urgent services and changes to individuals’ behaviour meant that the number of people joining the waiting list initially dropped. However, this has since been rising - and despite some improvements earlier in the year, waiting times remain far higher than pre-COVID - At the time of recording this, 

• over 6.6 million people waiting for treatment


• 2.41 million patients waiting over 18 weeks for treatment


• 331,623 patients waiting over one year for treatment


• 13 times the number waiting over a year in May 2020

But this really is, just the tip of the iceberg

The hidden backlog consists of patients who require care but have either not yet presented, or who have had referrals cancelled due to the impact of Covid-19 on the NHS; patients who, in normal times, would have been referred for treatment, received elective care and attended outpatient appointments, but who for a number of reasons relating to the pandemic have not yet found their way into the health system.

So whats the answer?

WPA are a specialist UK not-for-profit health insurer offering award-winning health insurance solutions to individuals, families and companies of all sizes.

Jimmy can be found on LinkedIn, and welcomes listeners to connect with him, and book a complimentary call to answer your questions and determine if and how best he can be of service.