‘MY SAVINGS GOT ME BACK IN THE SWING’

PAUL NELSON, 81, from Dorset, spent two decades stashing away money in case he needed an operation.

About 25 years ago, the father offour, left, cancelled his private health insurance when the provider doubled his fee to £140 a month, and instead put that amount into a tax-free ISA account every month.

In August 2020 his savvy decision paid off, when he suffered a slipped disc in his lower back.

‘One night I went to bed completely fine and the next morning I woke up in agony,’ says the former soldier.

‘There was a sharp pain in my leg, which meant I struggled to walk more than a few yards.

‘I’m usually very active and I couldn’t cope with the idea I’d be stuck to the sofa for the rest of my life.’

Paul didn’t bother visiting his NHS GP and instead used his savings to pay for a private MRI scan at his local hospital, costing £300.

He took the results to a private GP – the consultation cost £150 – who told him he needed decompression surgery, which relieves pressure on the nerves in the spine.

The GP said he could expect to wait at least a year to have the surgery on the NHS. ‘I knew I had the money so I didn’t have to worry about it,’ Paul says. In mid-December 2020, he had the £8,500 surgery at Spire Hospital in Southampton.

He says: ‘After six weeks, I was fit enough to play golf again. I definitely made the right decision.’