In the midst of a global pandemic and what was declared a public health emergency of international concern, thousands of people are finding that their health concerns or treatments are being neglected. According to a British Medical Association (BMA) survey, doctors reported that the prioritization of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients was worsening the care available to those without the condition. While hospitals have been repurposed for COVID patients and some treatments have been halted for many patients, including those with chronic conditions, other people are storing up their health problems for fear of overwhelming hospitals or catching the virus themselves.
So, should you put your health on hold during a global pandemic? The short answer is no. You shouldn’t be worried about putting the hospitals under any additional pressure or be worried about catching the virus by going to a doctor’s surgery or hospital because your health needs are just as important as they were before the pandemic, and you should seek care and treatment that you need.
There are systems in place to ensure that care is still available for anyone who needs it, and measures are in place to minimize the spread of the virus. For example, you can still speak to your GP, but you can now do this over the phone.
If you are concerned, there are things you can do. Major private hospital group, HCA Healthcare says it has experienced a doubling in the number of patients opting to pay out of their own pocket for a range of procedures because they fear they will not be seen because the NHS is struggling with a backlog of operations, but at the same time private healthcare facilities have been made available to NHS patients in the UK, and this has meant some cancer or cardiac patients considered at high risk if they contracted Covid-19 are now able to undergo critical surgery.
However, it’s not just about emergency care, if you were due to have fertility treatment and this has been put on hold, it can be worrying for you, and you may not want to delay this and put your life on hold. You can seek out advanced fertility treatment yourself, but just expect, as, with other medical departments, your care may be delivered in a different way.
John Forrest, chief operating officer of Spire Healthcare, which runs 39 private hospitals across the UK, said: “The biggest increase in inquiries has come from patients needing orthopedic, obstetrics/gynecology and ophthalmology care. These are people often suffering from debilitating conditions who might otherwise have to wait many months for treatment.”
While cancer treatment and clinically urgent care may be delayed slightly, it is still treated as a priority, but treatment plans may not be reviewed as the medical professionals will have to consider whether the risks of your treatment. So, if you are worried that you have signs or symptoms of cancer, then don’t put off getting help as the earlier cancer is detected, the better.
Due to infection control measures, hospitals won’t be able to see as many people as usual, and if you’re having surgery or a procedure, then you and the people you live with, and anyone in your support bubble may need to self-isolate before you go into hospital, and you may need a coronavirus test before you go into hospital.
