Benenden Health (formerly The Post Office and Civil Service Sanatorium Society) is a

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

mutual society A mutual organization, or mutual society is an organization (which is often, but not always, a company or business) based on the principle of mutuality and governed by private law. Unlike a true cooperative, members usually do not contribute to ...

in the UK providing private medical cover. Its membership consists of over 800,000 individuals and employees of corporate schemes provided by them. Benenden Health was the shirt sponsor of York City Football Club from the 2012–13 season until the 2018-2019 season.

History

The Post Office Branch of the National Association for the Establishment and Maintenance of Sanatoria for Workers Suffering from Tuberculosis Friendly SocietyOriginal rules filed with the Registrar of Mutual Societies at https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/Search/Search?searchLink=true&page=2&SocietyId=16914&SearchTerm=The%20Benenden%20Healthcare%20Society%20Limited was founded in 1905 to help working class

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional servi ...

employees control costs of the

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in w ...

epidemic when conventional medical insurance was not widely affordable. The business model of weekly member fees was proposed by a Post Office clerk, Charles Garland. In 1923 the name became The Post Office and Civil Service Sanatorium Society, as the membership was opened to a new industry. In October 1990, the registered office moved from

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. On 1 January 2010, the Society changed its name to the Benenden Healthcare Society. Membership was restricted to those employed in the public sector, both at national and local level, which led to difficulties as many functions were being outsourced and, consequently, membership began to decline. In June 2012, delegates at Benenden Health's annual conference in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...

voted to remove restrictions on membership. Also in June 2012, Benenden Health became shirt sponsor of York City Football Club. This sponsorship ended in the summer of 2019. In early 2018, the Society rebranded using the trading style "Benenden Health".

Benenden Hospital

Benenden Hospital was founded in 1907 near

Benenden Benenden is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The parish is located on the Weald, to the west of Tenterden. In addition to the main village, Iden Green, East End, Dingleden and Standen Street settl ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces the ...

as a sanatorium location for

treatment and became a centre for hospital treatment for members of Trade Unions and Friendly Societies, and subsequently public sector employees. Benenden Hospital in its original form as ‘Benenden Sanatorium’ was designed by Augustus William West, following pre-Bauhaus principles. The building is an example of early British modernist architecture. The hospital is now administered by Benenden Hospital Trust and is used by local

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

agencies and patients who use private medical insurance or who pay directly for their own hospital care. It is also one of a national network of 26 hospital facilities at which Benenden Health can authorise surgical and other treatment procedures. The hospital was rated outstanding by the

Care Quality Commission The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom. It was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care services in England. It ...

in May 2017. 22% of its activity is now commissioned by the NHS, mostly orthopaedic, gynaecology and ophthalmology surgery for adults.

Awards

* Most Trusted Health Insurance Provider - Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2014 and in 2015 * Most Trusted Health Insurance Provider via Employer – Moneywise Customer Service Awards 2019 * 100 Best Not-for-Profit Organisations 2019 – The Sunday Times * Best Healthcare Service at the Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts Awards 2019

Sponsorships

In January 2013, Benenden Health began their sponsorship deal with York City Football Club. After 7 years of sponsoring York City Football Club, it was announced by York City chairman Jason McGill that Benenden Health will end their sponsorship. Benenden Health have been a main sponsor of York Pride since 2012, this is an annual celebration for York and North Yorkshire’s LGBT community.

References

External links