UK reps explore Malta's medical tourism potential
Medical tourism is being given a determined push on the initiative of a magazine publisher. Volfren International Publishers, based in London, has issued the first edition of a magazine aimed at health tourists, called Healthcare Options.The magazine...
Medical tourism is being given a determined push on the initiative of a magazine publisher. Volfren International Publishers, based in London, has issued the first edition of a magazine aimed at health tourists, called Healthcare Options.
The magazine dedicated considerable coverage to Malta, with support from the leading private hospitals and clinics, the three Starwood hotels in Malta, dentists and even Lux Location, a company offering exclusive properties for post-treatment recovery.
Volfren is also organising a series of promotional weekend trips to Malta every fortnight, with flights provided by the Malta Tourism Authority and accommodation and board provided by Starwood hotels.
"Hotels tend to be cynical at first but thanks to the vision of the Starwood area manager Hans Cauchi we were able to get the support of the Westin, Le Meridien St Julians and Le Meridien Phoenicia. For the first trip, we brought down seven representatives from the largest medical travel agencies in the UK," Volfren's CEO Jason Lancaster said.
"They were overawed by Mater Dei and we are also taking them to see the private hospitals. At present these agencies send 90 per cent of their clients to Hungary and the Czech Republic but they are considering Malta because English is spoken here.
"The professionals in many other countries speak English but it can be quite disconcerting to be surrounded by other people speaking in a language you cannot understand. And this is all the more important for someone who is undergoing medical treatment, who might be anxious.
"And all the other factors work in your favour. You have highly trained professionals, many of whom have experience in the UK. With normal tourism you are competing against all sorts of other countries. I believe that with medical tourism, you have a clear advantage."
In the next group, Mr Lancaster hopes to include a representive from a company that currently specialises in treatment in India. It is so enthusiastic about the island's potential that it may open an office here.
He is also targeting the trust fund managers of the British hospitals, some of which are independent and can spend their money in the way they feel best suits their patients.
"Given the cost of treatment here, the British government could get twice the number of patients treated!" he said.
"There was one patient who came here last year for treatment and saved £12,000."
The emphasis at present is on patients seeking cosmetic treatment or dental work. The real breakthrough would be a bilateral agreement between the Maltese government and the NHS for British patients to be treated here if they have been on the waiting list for too long (see box on page 9).
Everything could change quite dramatically when patients realise the implications of a ruling last year by the European Court of Justice which laid down that the government of an EU state would have to cover the cost of treatment overseas and possibly also the cost of travel and accommodation if treatment in the home country was excessively delayed.
"The Watts case was a landmark case and once patients realise what it means for them, there will be more and more claims for the government to send them overseas for treatment. This is where our magazine can help by empowering people and explaining to them what rights they have."
Medical tourists leave behind considerably more money in the economy than normal tourists. In addition to the treatment in hospital, they often stay for weeks to recover - and for the sake of privacy, some opt for houses rather than hotels. This is one reason by the MTA lent its support and is appointing a portfolio manager, he said.
Mr Lancaster is convinced that medical tourism would do a lot more than bring in funds.
"It could also reverse the stream of qualified professionals who are being poached by the UK," he said.
"If Mater Dei has spare capacity and uses it for medical tourism, it could be an important source of revenue."
One possible drawback is that local hospitals are not accredited in the UK but Mr Lancaster thinks this should not be an obstacle because the training here follows that in the UK, making it easier to show equivalence and standards.
The magazine, edited by Maltese resident Tracy Mann, is being sold through WH Smith, Tesco and Sainsbury (under the name Health Traveller). In Malta, Agenda Bookshops and Malta International Airport have agreed to stock it and it will also be available on BritishJet flights, she said. Content is currently being added to the website.
Landmark European Court judgment
The European Court of Justice in May 2006 had ruled that a British patient should be able to get treatment abroad if he or she faced undue delay - and that the British health service would not be able to refuse to refund the cost.
It found that any national health institution could not refuse authorisation for treatment abroad if the waiting time was unacceptable in the context of the patient's medical condition.
It found that the right for reimbursement, however, were limited to the cost of healthcare received - but not travel or accommodation, unless home state legislation specifies the contrary.
Yvonne Watts instituted the case, after she went to France for a hip replacement.
Medical tourism
In 2006, 50,000 British patients travelled abroad for medical treatment.
Medical care in Germany and Europe costs 40-80 per cent less than in the US.
A heart valve replacement that costs $200,000 in the US would cost $10,000 in India, including air fare and a short holiday package.
More than 250,000 patients a year visit Singapore, nearly half of them from the Middle East.
In 2004, over one million international patients sought treatment in Thailand, generating about $770 million.
The Munich Airport Clinic has two surgery rooms and 13 beds. Patients fly in, have tests and treatment at the airport and then return home, often all in one day.
The magazine dedicated considerable coverage to Malta, with support from the leading private hospitals and clinics, the three Starwood hotels in Malta, dentists and even Lux Location, a company offering exclusive properties for post-treatment recovery.
Volfren is also organising a series of promotional weekend trips to Malta every fortnight, with flights provided by the Malta Tourism Authority and accommodation and board provided by Starwood hotels.
"Hotels tend to be cynical at first but thanks to the vision of the Starwood area manager Hans Cauchi we were able to get the support of the Westin, Le Meridien St Julians and Le Meridien Phoenicia. For the first trip, we brought down seven representatives from the largest medical travel agencies in the UK," Volfren's CEO Jason Lancaster said.
"They were overawed by Mater Dei and we are also taking them to see the private hospitals. At present these agencies send 90 per cent of their clients to Hungary and the Czech Republic but they are considering Malta because English is spoken here.
"The professionals in many other countries speak English but it can be quite disconcerting to be surrounded by other people speaking in a language you cannot understand. And this is all the more important for someone who is undergoing medical treatment, who might be anxious.
"And all the other factors work in your favour. You have highly trained professionals, many of whom have experience in the UK. With normal tourism you are competing against all sorts of other countries. I believe that with medical tourism, you have a clear advantage."
In the next group, Mr Lancaster hopes to include a representive from a company that currently specialises in treatment in India. It is so enthusiastic about the island's potential that it may open an office here.
He is also targeting the trust fund managers of the British hospitals, some of which are independent and can spend their money in the way they feel best suits their patients.
"Given the cost of treatment here, the British government could get twice the number of patients treated!" he said.
"There was one patient who came here last year for treatment and saved £12,000."
The emphasis at present is on patients seeking cosmetic treatment or dental work. The real breakthrough would be a bilateral agreement between the Maltese government and the NHS for British patients to be treated here if they have been on the waiting list for too long (see box on page 9).
Everything could change quite dramatically when patients realise the implications of a ruling last year by the European Court of Justice which laid down that the government of an EU state would have to cover the cost of treatment overseas and possibly also the cost of travel and accommodation if treatment in the home country was excessively delayed.
"The Watts case was a landmark case and once patients realise what it means for them, there will be more and more claims for the government to send them overseas for treatment. This is where our magazine can help by empowering people and explaining to them what rights they have."
Medical tourists leave behind considerably more money in the economy than normal tourists. In addition to the treatment in hospital, they often stay for weeks to recover - and for the sake of privacy, some opt for houses rather than hotels. This is one reason by the MTA lent its support and is appointing a portfolio manager, he said.
Mr Lancaster is convinced that medical tourism would do a lot more than bring in funds.
"It could also reverse the stream of qualified professionals who are being poached by the UK," he said.
"If Mater Dei has spare capacity and uses it for medical tourism, it could be an important source of revenue."
One possible drawback is that local hospitals are not accredited in the UK but Mr Lancaster thinks this should not be an obstacle because the training here follows that in the UK, making it easier to show equivalence and standards.
The magazine, edited by Maltese resident Tracy Mann, is being sold through WH Smith, Tesco and Sainsbury (under the name Health Traveller). In Malta, Agenda Bookshops and Malta International Airport have agreed to stock it and it will also be available on BritishJet flights, she said. Content is currently being added to the website.
Landmark European Court judgment
The European Court of Justice in May 2006 had ruled that a British patient should be able to get treatment abroad if he or she faced undue delay - and that the British health service would not be able to refuse to refund the cost.
It found that any national health institution could not refuse authorisation for treatment abroad if the waiting time was unacceptable in the context of the patient's medical condition.
It found that the right for reimbursement, however, were limited to the cost of healthcare received - but not travel or accommodation, unless home state legislation specifies the contrary.
Yvonne Watts instituted the case, after she went to France for a hip replacement.
Medical tourism
In 2006, 50,000 British patients travelled abroad for medical treatment.
Medical care in Germany and Europe costs 40-80 per cent less than in the US.
A heart valve replacement that costs $200,000 in the US would cost $10,000 in India, including air fare and a short holiday package.
More than 250,000 patients a year visit Singapore, nearly half of them from the Middle East.
In 2004, over one million international patients sought treatment in Thailand, generating about $770 million.
The Munich Airport Clinic has two surgery rooms and 13 beds. Patients fly in, have tests and treatment at the airport and then return home, often all in one day.