New appointments further strengthen panel of expert medical advisers.
InterGlobal Assistance (IGA), the 24/7 medical assistance service from international private medical insurer InterGlobal, has further enhanced its medical case management capability. Two senior doctors have joined its medical panel and 10 additional staff members with Chinese language skills have joined the Operations Team to provide enhanced support to InterGlobal’s Chinese speaking members around the world. The appointments are made in association with New Zealand based assistance specialist, First Assistance.
Dr Graham Denyer joins IGA’s medical panel in New Zealand as Chief Medical Officer alongside Dr Mitesh Patel who will be based in the UK. Dr Denyer and Dr Patel strengthen IGA’s capacity to provide medical expertise at the highest level, 24hrs a day.
IGA’s in-house medical team and remote working panel of registered, practising physicians ensure that InterGlobal’s members receive the highest professional standards of medical treatment whilst helping to challenge overtreatment and the inconvenience and cost of unnecessary medical investigations.
David Bull, InterGlobal Assistance Operations Manager, said:
“Our medical team gives us instant access to information about necessary and appropriate investigations, diagnosis and treatment plans for our members 24 hours a day. Our medical team is supported by a broad panel of doctors with varying specialities and a wealth of experience in healthcare around the world. This means we can provide appropriate medical assistance and support to our members whenever they are admitted to hospital, wherever in the world that may be.
“Our medical panel provides guidance on the latest developments in medical treatment to ensure that our members receive the best possible care in the most appropriate medical facility. The depth of experience within our Operations and Medical Teams enables us to eliminate unnecessary procedures and tests so that treatment is delivered as cost effectively as possible. By proactively managing our claims costs we can contain future increases in insurance premiums for the benefit of all our members.
“Many of InterGlobal’s members are Chinese or need to access medical care in Chinese speaking facilities. We recognised the important need to be able to communicate effectively with those customers and suppliers 24hrs a day, seven days a week so have worked closely with our assistance partners, First Assistance, to increase the number of Mandarin speakers within our teams to enhance the level of service.”
Dr Graham Denyer has joined First Assistance as Chief Medical Officer in New Zealand. He previously worked for five years in Australia for the Polar Medicine Unit of the Australian Antarctic program.
Dr Mitesh Patel joins First Assistance’s medical team in the UK. He trained at London’s Hammersmith Hospital and brings a background of clinical practice from highly regarded London hospitals including St Thomas’ Hospital. He has a number of years working in the assistance industry in the UK and holds the CCAT (Clinical Considerations in Aeromedical Transport) certification.
IGA operates in association with New Zealand based assistance specialist First Assistance from centres in the UK and New Zealand to provide a 24/7, 365 days a year medical assistance service. It is the first point of contact for members in an emergency or when they need to receive planned in-patient or daycare treatment. Members can call one of InterGlobal’s toll-free numbers or make a collect call to access medical assistance under their international private medical insurance policy.
IGA covers all aspects of the assistance process, including providing advice from medical experts, arranging admittance to hospital, identifying specialists and arranging ambulances as well as organising the approval and payment of treatment. IGA will also arrange evacuation of members for critical and non-critical conditions, where medically necessary, if adequate treatment cannot be provided locally.
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