PAM’S STORY
Since my hysterectomy, my life has transformed
Pam had lived with chronic pain for almost 40 years. After accessing specialist care and having choice over her treatment through Vitality, she is now pain-free for the first time since she was 14.
Diagnosed with endometriosis as a teenager, Pam Brown had lived with debilitating pain for much of her life.
“Looking back, I don’t understand how I got through those periods of my life,” she says. “They were really tough on me.”
In 2025, Pam was diagnosed with adenomyosis, a condition affecting the uterus that can cause severe pelvic pain and prolonged cramping. As a longstanding Vitality health insurance member, Pam contacted Vitality and learned that treatment for this additional condition was eligible under her plan.
For Pam, being able to choose her consultant and hospital made a meaningful difference. She selected a female consultant with relevant specialist experience and immediately felt confident in her care.
“To know that I could pick a woman who specialised in my diseases was so lovely,” she says. “I went to see her and I instantly liked her. She knew what was going on.”
Together, they agreed on a treatment plan, with Pam deciding to have a full hysterectomy. The procedure was authorised through Care Hub and approved quickly, helping Pam feel informed and supported throughout her treatment journey.
“I felt like I was in control of what was going to happen to me and when it was going to happen,” she says. “To have some sort of control over your body is really priceless.”
Today, Pam is living without the pain that had affected most of her life.
“Since my operation, my life has transformed,” she says. “I have no pain for the first time since I was 14 years old. I feel amazing.”
Pam also regularly engages with the Vitality Programme and enjoys the rewards, such as Caffè Nero and Expedia, that support her physical and mental wellbeing.
“To know that I could pick a woman who specialised in my diseases was so lovely”
Watch Pam's story below.
KEN’S STORY
I didn't intend on getting ill
Ken Davies never expected to make a claim on his Serious Illness Cover plan. But when his health changed suddenly, the financial choice he had made years earlier made all the difference.
As a mortgage adviser, Ken Davies understood the importance of protecting the people and things that mattered most. With a family, home and everyday expenses to think about, he took out Life Cover and Serious Illness Cover in 2018, never expecting he would need to claim.
In 2023, Ken developed a persistent cough, sweating and tiredness. When blood tests revealed how unwell he was, he was taken to hospital and told he was going into kidney failure.
“The doctors said, ‘You’re seriously ill. Your kidney function is three and it should be 90,’” Ken recalls.
He was diagnosed with Goodpasture syndrome, a rare, life-threatening autoimmune disease, and began ongoing kidney dialysis.
Then, just under a year later, Ken developed another cough and shortness of breath. Further investigations led to a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, a disease affecting the heart muscle.
Ken received a full payout following his first diagnosis. Because he had Serious Illness Cover, his plan continued and he received another full payout for the unrelated cardiomyopathy diagnosis.
“Other policies probably would have paid out,” he says, “but they wouldn’t have paid out twice.”
Both payouts provided a vital financial safety net. They helped Ken manage his mortgage and other costs after his illnesses forced him to stop working for a time and later reduce his hours.
“The bills don’t stop,” he says. “If I didn’t have that payout, I would have had to sell the house.”
Ken also enjoys benefits through the Vitality Programme, including cinema tickets, coffees, Apple Watch and discounts on trainers.
Reflecting on the difference his cover has made, Ken says: “Vitality, for me, has made a huge difference to my life.”
Other policies probably would have paid out, but they wouldn’t have paid out twice”
Watch Ken’s story below.
Turn friendship into rewards - get a £100 gift card each
Refer a friend to Vitality and you'll both get a £100 Amazon.co.uk or John Lewis & Partners gift card after they join, and pay three monthly premiums.
Terms and conditions and a minimum £25 monthly premium applies.
