Group Bulletin • Summer 2026
In the second of our member bulletins, we are reaching out to showcase the amazing charity work of our employees, the resilience of the private healthcare sector and how we make switching to HMCA simple, so your members can take advantage of their member benefits easily.
We’d love to provide marketing materials about our plans for you to share with your members and do also let us know if you have any stories from your members about their experience with private medical plans.
As we’re now into summer, you can also have a go at our holiday-themed anagrams!
Our founder and chairman Barney Skrentny is proud to have contributed £100,000 to the Yorkshire Macular Degeneration Fund, supporting pioneering research into age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading causes of sight loss in the UK.
The funding will support vital advancements in early diagnosis and detection and has enabled the lease of “Anna the Eye Scanner”, an advanced imaging system that will support the vital research programme building a clearer understanding of the condition.
The charity said: “Your support is helping make this future possible. Thank you for being such a vital partner in our mission.”
Elsewhere in the company our Accounts Assistant Katie is taking on a seven-day trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro next month, in memory of her nana.
She is aiming to raise £1,000 for the incredible support, care, and research Alzheimer’s Society provides.
You can donate or read more about why she’s taking on the epic challenge, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/katie-coulter-2
In other charity work, our head office also ran a World Cup sweepstake, and our monthly dress-down Friday raised nearly £250 for local primary school St Johns in Knaresborough.
It was a privilege to be in attendance and hear first-hand about the realities facing the nursing profession.
We’ve been providing member benefits to organisations such as RCN since 1978 and know that supporting nurses to stay healthy and return to practice quickly isn’t just a benefit, it’s part of sustaining the care patients rely on.
Private health admission hit record levels for the fourth year in a row in 2025, showing strong resilience in the sector despite a fall in NHS waiting times.1
New figures show there were 670,000 admissions funded by private medical insurance in the UK last year, an increase from 665,000 in 2024 to mark the fifth consecutive year of growth.2
This sustained growth reflects a clear shift in mindset: private medical insurance is now seen as an essential part of personal healthcare planning.
For many individuals, waiting is no longer an option when symptoms arise. This feeling was also borne out of the many chats we had with nurses at the RCN Congress.
It also shows confidence that the care will be there when it matters most, and confidence in choosing a provider that understands the importance of access, speed and quality.
A Medical Care Plan from HMCA is designed to meet this growing need for swift, effective healthcare.
And if your members are considering a move from an existing provider, HMCA makes transferring straightforward.
Many people only realise that their cover has gaps when they go to make a claim.
Reviewing a current plan to see whether it still offers value in the form of consultant appointments, diagnostic tests, or inpatient treatment can make all the difference.
HMCA makes the transfer process easy, with guaranteed acceptance on all medical plans.
In addition, 92% of members report saving money after switching to HMCA*, without compromising on quality or service.
[1] https://www.covermagazine.co.uk/news/4530937/pmi-admissions-hit-fourth-record-row-phin
[1] See above
SUNSHINE
LEMONADE
SUNGLASSES
Here’s a travel-themed question to ponder over the summer. We’ll reveal the answer in next month’s bulletin.
Baptist preacher Thomas Cook operated the first-ever package holiday in 1841 marking the start of mass tourism.
He chartered an 11-mile train trip for the 485 holidaymakers between which two British destinations?
With demand for private healthcare continuing to rise, membership groups play a critical role in helping members understand their options and access faster routes to diagnosis and treatment.
To request marketing materials or support, contact our team at marketing@hmca.co.uk or call 01423 866985, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm.
