VHI members can now access the three private hospitals in the Kingsbridge Healthcare Group in Belfast, Derry and Sligo after the insurer announced a new deal.
The agreement with the Kingsbridge group includes access to the Kingsbridge Diagnostics and Treatment Centre, which shares a campus with Kingsbridge Private Hospital on Belfast’s Lisburn Road, just off the M1 artery into the city.
VHI said the agreement will provide its members with more options, faster access to surgeries and medical consultations in Belfast as well as enhanced post-surgical care for joint replacements.
In most cases, surgical patients will be offered a consultation within a week and surgery within three weeks of making initial contact with Kingsbridge.
“This collaboration will provide VHI members living in the border region with greater access to high-quality medical services in a modern facility,” Mark Byrne, VHI’s director of healthcare partnerships, said.
VHI provides private health insurance to more than 1.2 million members in the State and reimburses €1.6 billion in medical-related claims a year.
Kingsbridge provides more than 25,000 surgical treatments each year with 450 consultants providing care across 50 specialities.
In-patient procedures at Kingsbridge Belfast cover all the main specialities including orthopaedics, general surgery, ENT and gynaecology.
Kingsbridge Healthcare Group said it would engage intensively with GPs, patients and companies in the State throughout this year to build on existing and long-standing relationships.
It is putting in place satellite clinics across the island for patient aftercare and follow-up.
It will offer access to first appointments and surgery through an online booking platform on its website.
The Lisburn Road campus offers robotic surgery and pharmacies on site.
VHI members will be offered preferential rates for other services available at Kingsbridge such as laser eye treatment, hearing aids and a sleep and snoring clinic.
