Quintin Jardine's blog

I may have blogged about Vitality before; if so I make no apologies for repeating my warning. Do not be conned by that fucking dachshund!

I have a complaint lodged with them about my non-treatment by them. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from someone named Mel advising that he/she had been passed my ‘concerns’ to review and evaluate. Having heard nothing since, this morning I called the Vitality number hoping to track down the mysterious Mel and do some cage rattling.

This involved the inevitable QA session at conclusion of which I was left holding on, in a queue, listening to various promotional messages. One of these was an exhortation to choose one of their ‘premier consultants’. Why? Because statistically they get you out of hospital sooner.

Seriously? Yes that’s what it says. Vitality admits that it operates a two-tier system which identifies the very best surgeons, but which is happy to offer also a second class service from those who didn’t quite make the top tier.

For information: Vitality is a subsidiary of Discovery, a South African insurance and healthcare group, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Shareholders include Baillie Gifford, with 7.5%.