Introduction

To celebrate our Diamond Jubilee, the Friendly Society are offering up to 3 months' free cover during 2008, when you apply for Private Medical Insurance (PMI).

The National Health Service is recognised throughout the world as one of the premier healthcare providers, but sometimes the delays for treatment can at best be an inconvenience and at worst lead to financial suffering, particularly if you are on extended sick leave, when your pay could be reduced to half or no pay.

Your Friendly Society recognised this, and in 2003 introduced a straightforward and competitively priced Private Medical Insurance (PMI) Plan, specifically designed to speed up the process of recovery for serving police officers and police staff. Cover can also be extended to include partners and children.

Unlike many private healthcare providers (who simply send you a cheque), we do not leave the complex task of sourcing and paying for treatment up to you; instead we have enlisted the services of Medical Care Direct (MCD), a specialist healthcare company, who are able to arrange such things as out-patient consultations and diagnostic tests, right through to in-patient hospital procedures. All costs are identified prior to treatment using previously negotiated rates and the majority of admissions are arranged on a fixed price basis ensuring no unexpected additional costs. This is particularly important where the cost of treatment could involve a co-payment on your part. See ('What are the charges?').

MCD have a database of all private hospitals and NHS Private Patient Units within the UK along with access to over 20,000 consultants in all major specialities. They place thousands of procedures with hundreds of hospitals each year across a range of specialities and treatments ranging from cataracts to heart surgery.

They also have invoice settlement arrangements with all the major hospital groups and independent hospitals. Where you have a preferred hospital to attend this will be included in the options provided where possible. Unlike many PMI schemes you are not restricted to a network of specific hospitals or consultants.

All the hospitals they deal with are fully accredited and licensed by the appropriate health authority and many have additional quality accreditations and publish their infection rates. They also use NHS Private Patient Units and facilities within NHS hospitals.

For full details please see the documents on the right.