All Policies Include Coronavirus Cover
Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30
Coronavirus FAQs
Questions about cover for coronavirus? Read our FAQs and find out what our policies can do for you. If you would like to contact us, please note we are currently only available 09:00 to 17:30 Monday to Friday due to reduced operational capacity. Thank you.
27 October 2017 09:29
Just 35% of high-risk patients have been prescribed essential medication
Low-risk patients are being treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs despite having less than a 10% chance of heart attack or stroke, new research suggests.
A study tracking the prescription of statins has been published in the British Journal of General Practice and suggests widespread "over-treatment".
Medical records of 1.4 million patients aged 40 and over - across both England and Wales - have been analysed by researchers from the University of Birmingham.
The data includes all prescriptions and risk assessments for cardiovascular disease (CVD) over a 15-year period, between 2000 and 2015.
High-risk patients
Researchers have also identified a worryingly high risk of potential "under-treatment" among patients who are at an increased risk of developing CVD.
Only a third (35%) of patients with a 20% or higher chance of developing the disease within a decade are noted as having been prescribed statins.
The authors of the study say it is not possible to determine how many of these patients have declined an offer of treatment.
They wrote: "This study confirms that there is potential under-treatment of patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and, although only a small proportion of low-risk patients are initiated on statins, low-risk patients represent a significant proportion of all statin initiations."
Unnecessary treatment
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends an assessment of exposure risk should be conducted by GPs to predict a patient's risk of developing CVD within 10 years.
However, only 11% (151,788) of patients included in the study have medical records to support that they have undergone the risk assessment.
Nice also recommends that only patients with more than a 10% chance of developing the disease should be treated with statins. Despite this, one in six low-risk patients have been prescribed the medication, the research finds.
Giving possible reasons for the over-prescribing, the report's authors said: "It is possible that clinicians were responding to individual patient preference when prescribing to low-risk patients."
Patients having treatment for cardiovascular disease or other pre-existing conditions can still enjoy holidays and overseas trips by taking out pre-existing medical travel insurance.
17 March 2020
Escape it all with a visit to one of the world's hidden island gems.
[more...]
02 July 2021
It's time for some Mediterranean sun and unforgettable sights. Here are five of our favourite must-sees in Malta.
Take your pick of the best beaches in Portugal, spanning more than 500 miles of the Portuguese coastline.
Holidays are back but not quite as we know them. Here's a quick guide to what to expect when travelling to and from green list countries.
28 February 2020
From tulip-filled trips to rose-tinged rests, these destinations are the perfect way to see in the new season.
04 January 2021
Join us on a journey to Ancient Greece to discover more about history's most revered statue.
Head north for a light show like no other. Discover how you can see the Northern Lights for yourself.
Discover more about the magnificent waterfall perched on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
10 December 2020
Don't sleep on the world's most impressive dormant volcano.
A destination that stands head and shoulders above the rest.
19 November 2020
Take a tour of one of South America's most captivating natural landscapes.
Discover the hidden depths of the world's most recognisable desert gorge.