Following research conducted on their customers, specialist travel insurance provider, PJ Hayman, reveals that 61% of consumers with pre-existing medical conditions feel that going on holiday affects their health positively.

These findings were revealed as part of a study of almost 800 UK consumers which looked at the benefits of holidays for people who suffer from a range of conditions including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure.

Perceived Medical Benefits of Holidays
Of those who went on holiday, 45% said they felt less stressed and therefore healthier and 41% went on holiday for rest and relaxation which they believe helped their condition. Holidays also had attitudinal benefits as 24% felt more able to deal with their condition and 27% said it allowed them to re-evaluate their situation and concentrate on being positive.

As part of the survey, P J Hayman reviewed the benefits offered to those with a variety of conditions.  Cancer patients (78%) were most likely to believe holidays had affected them positively with over half (56%) saying it made them feel less stressed and healthier and 53% said it gave giving them chance to re-evaluate their situation and concentrate on being positive.

Well-being Benefits of Holidays
Consumers with pre-existing medical conditions went on holiday at least once a year (98%) and gained a variety of general well-being benefits. Indeed, 67% said it gave them the opportunity to spend time with family and friends which made them feel good and 45% saw it as an opportunity to relax and not think about their condition. Many people (41%) also saw this as an opportunity to fulfil an ambition to see a location they had always wanted to see.

People with cancer (66%) saw holidays as an opportunity to relax and not think about their condition while those who suffered a stroke saw holidays as a real opportunity to spend time with family and friends (67%).

Peter Hayman, Director of PJ Hayman, said: “Our research shows that people with pre-existing medical conditions consider holidays vitally important and that many believe that they have a positive effect on their condition and their mental well-being. However, this sector of the population often struggle to get travel insurance, something that is even more vital for people who have underlying medical conditions.”

Holiday Emotions
People with pre-existing medical conditions saw holidays in a similar light to the rest of the UK population with 90% saying they felt relaxed, 85% enjoying the experience and 79% feeling happy.  However, additional emotions experienced were more specific to this group with 27% feeling they had achieved something significant and cancer patients specifically feeling both elation (17%) and relief (19%).

Friends and Families Thoughts
Most people (93%) who contributed to the research travelled with companions – 39% with partner, 34% with family and 16% with friends. While the majority of friends and family were very supportive of their loved ones desire to go on holiday, 3% of partners and 3% of families were worried about the holiday. Interestingly, only 2% of doctors who were consulted about their patient going on holiday were worried.

Favourite Destinations
Spain (28%), France (10%), Greece (8%), England (8%) and Italy (7%) were the top destinations for those with pre-existing medical conditions to visit. These countries were chosen for reasons such as wanting to visit family and friends (14%), liked the climate (13%) or were returning to a favourite destination (12%). Some destinations appealed due to medical reasons such as being ‘easy to travel to’ (5%) and accessible accommodation (2%).

Peter Hayman, Director of P J Hayman, continues: “At P J Hayman, we specialise in providing cover for people who have these types of pre-existing medical conditions. We were pleased to find that the survey showed that the majority of our customers saw us as offering a good level of cover at a competitive price. We urge people who do have pre-existing medical conditions to speak to a specialist provider rather than putting their holiday dreams on hold as they can’t find cover from a standard insurer.”