REPORT - LONDON - WTM 2007: British patients picking up their passports and going abroad for treatment are set to soar to 200,000 over the next three years. Their ailments will range from hernia to hip to heart while others will fit in cosmetic work around their break in the sun.

 

Up to 50 countries are offering bargain priced medical attention which can shave off about 50 per cent on private costs in this country even after flights and accommodation are factored into the package.

This fast-growing trend for exporting your bodily problems has been highlighted at World Travel Market at ExCeL London,.

“More and more people are showing interest in going overseas for help ,” said Keith Pollard, managing director of Treatment Abroad. The growth was 25per cent in 2006 and it is anticipated that will be up to 84 per cent this year.

“Our website has 50,000 visits a month and 1,500 of those make inquiries about treatment.” The destinations are as long haul as Australia and Asia and South America and as accessible as Belgium.

“I was stunned recently when a woman was so frightened of her husband contracting MRSA in hospital over here that she decided they should reject free NH care and spend £8,000 of their savings to have his heart operation in Belgium,” added Pollard.

“I believe that there is a role for a major player in this marketplace because at the moment it is incredibly fragmented but has a £150-200millionvalue. Sooner or later somebody is going to wake up and take a big share of the potential. Insurance is a problem but I know some City investors are looking closely at a business plan to set up a low-cost product that could transform the market. Travel insurance doesn’t protect you but somebody will cover this gap eventually. Dentistry work done abroad is cheaper - £2,000 for a tooth implant in England compared to £665 in Hungary – and becoming increasingly popular.”

Another example of sales and marketing techniques to be expected – have two weeks holiday in the sun to bronze yourselves and meanwhile have your teeth whitened!

Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Malta, Korea, Bulgaria, Latvia, Bolivia, Argentina...these are just a sprinkling of the destinations which invite health tourists and 62 per cent of those who opted to leave home to get well booked it themselves.

“Countries are specifically targeting the UK market,” concluded Pollard.