Consistent consultancy a key factor in health insurance

British people have chosen hygiene as the major reason for wanting private medical insurance, according to a new study by BUPA .

The BUPA annual Health of the Nation survey reveals that 62 per cnet of British people took out private medical insurance in order to get access to clean hospitals. Fears of the killer hospital virus MRSA and wider concerns about hospital hygiene continue to plague the nation.

Having ones own room in hospital was perceived as not particularly important, with less than a third of people choosing it as the most pressing reason. Faster access to specialists was a key factor for choosing health insurance amongst those people who already have cover. 73 per cent of people who have private health insurance saw the main advantage as being able to see the same consultant.

Those people who chose not to take out private medical insurance cited affordability and confidence in the NHS as the top reasons for not taking out medical insurance.

The medical director of BUPA Health Insurance, Dr. Macdonald, said: It's interesting that MRSA and cleanliness are still top of people's worries when it comes to taking out PMI . It's also encouraging to see that the things that matter to us, like faster access to specialists, good quality of services and effective medical treatments, are echoed by those people questioned. We believe that people should always get the best treatment, at the best place, at a time to suit them and I'm pleased that those questioned felt the same.