Terms such as ‘medical tourism’ and ‘global healthcare’ get thrown around a lot by medical industry experts who are looking for the ‘next big thing’ in terms of treatments, but the truth is, medical tourism (including dental work, cosmetic surgery and fertility treatments) is experiencing a surge in popularity, especially with UK patients who don’t want to pay the sometimes exorbitant fees in their home country.

For years, wealthy residents of so-called ‘third world’ countries have been travelling to places such as the UK and America for their medical treatments, but now, the tables are turning: patients who can’t afford the seemingly ever-increasing fees in the West are heading to other countries for cheaper treatments. The lower cost doesn’t mean lower quality, however; some of the best state-of-the-art facilities and highest quality of doctors can be found in places such as Europe and Asia.

This rise in medical tourism is due, in part, to the way the world is changing. The population is aging, and the more wealthy patients can now afford to travel further distances in order to get their medical treatments. It isn’t just money, however, that is causing the popularity of cross-border healthcare to grow; with many countries experiencing long waiting lists for all kinds of operations, it can be beneficial to a patient’s health to travel abroad and get instant treatment for serious medical problems. The popularity of medical tourism is increasing at a fast rate every year, with some organisations estimating a growth rate of 15-25% in 2013.

Some patients can be understandably wary about travelling to foreign countries for any type of medical procedure or operation, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks; the state-of-the-art clinics, experienced (and often internationally trained) medical staff, and savings of up to 75 or 80% usually convince any would-be-nervous patient that there are more advantages than disadvantages to going abroad for their medical needs. English translators are provided to avoid communication issues and many operators include the prices of the flights in their ‘holiday packages’.

Dental treatments in particular form an area of medical tourism which is gaining in popularity with UK patients. Companies such as Dentistry in Poland offer top quality dental treatments in highly advanced European clinics for a much lower cost when compared to the same treatments in the UK. The dental travel operator works in conjunction with Expedia to provide dental holiday packages to Krakow, Poland, meaning their patients can take in the sites of one of Europe’s most stunning cities and get their teeth treated all during the same trip.

There are a wide range of companies out there who specialise in providing UK patients with medical tourism options in several countries all over the world, all for a much lower price than they’d get at home.

For more information, contact a medical or dental tourism provider such as DentistryinPoland.com.