UK stages first ever ‘health tourism’ show

The first ever ‘health tourism' exhibition is being staged this weekend at London's Olympia Two exhibition hall.

The show will be promoting medical and health options abroad – including dental treatment.

More than 100,000 medical trips are expected from the UK in 2009, with a total value of around £375 million.


And the total number of trips for treatment abroad is expected to climb past 200,000 by 2010.
Exhibitors at the The Health Tourism Show (25-26 October) will showcase their dental, cosmetic, elective, IVF and sports treatments.
Organisers say that with such a wide range of treatment options and ‘countries offering competitively priced surgery and dentistry it can be difficult to make the right decision when choosing treatments and medical facilities'.
Keith Pollard, the founder of Treatment Abroad, a website offering guidance to patients re: what they need to know before travelling for treatment, said: ‘It is vital that medical tourists arm themselves with as much information as possible before proceeding with any treatment, which is what we aim to do with our website.
‘Visitors to our seminars and stand at the Health Tourism Show will have the opportunity to understand and ask about what travelling abroad for medical tourism really entails,' he added.
Recently, the General Dental Council (GDC) issued guidance and advice to dental tourists, with a checklist of questions to ask before travelling abroad for treatment.
The checklist, created in August, was produced in association with the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF), with a view to helping dental patients make informed decisions about their dental care, wherever they receive treatment.
People who consider going abroad to have dental treatment should get all the facts before they book an appointment.

The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) has also warned potential patients that they need to carefully research the dentist who may be carrying out the work.

BACD Board member Tif Qureshi advised that is a good idea to check and see if a foreign dentist has a good portfolio.

He explained that this is often more important than considered the price of a procedure.

Mr Qureshi said that when going abroad to have veneers fitted, patients should look on the dentist's website and see examples of previous work.



 Posted on : Tue 21st - Oct - 2008