Expats given health advice by Aviva UK

Aviva UK

Aviva UK Health is seeking to aid the good health of British expats abroad by creating a special information pack.

The info pack, named My Health Passport, is available in both booklet and downloadable formats. The downloadable version is intended to be used as a personal fact sheet for the holder containing information such as personal details, illness history, blood type, and GP/health insurer details.

The actual booklet is intended to be more comprehensive with complete health history including vaccine screenings and operation details.

The booklet is born out of research by Aviva UK which has revealed that many expat employees do not have sufficient information about their own personal health. A problem for expats is also the that fact that when they move countries for work, their medical records often fail to travel with them. Upon conducting a survey amongst British expats, Avivia discovered that 69 percent were unaware of their blood pressure and 63 percent had no idea what their blood type was. A further 50 percent were unclear as to whether they were up to date with vaccinations.

Teresa Rogers, in charge of international private medical insurance at Aviva said: “Moving overseas can be stressful, particularly if staff are being sent on an overseas assignment for work. With so much to remember, sometimes people neglect one of the most important things - their health. Being an international medical insurance provider, we know a large number of people require medical care while abroad. But, unfortunately, medical records are not easily accessible, particularly as they are not automatically transferred by GPS. Easy access to personal health information can be vital, particularly in a medical emergency situation or when visiting a GP or pharmacist abroad. We have developed My Health Passport as we want to encourage people to remember to take this information with them.”