Hernia operation, Thailand
Tony Crompton, 38

I needed surgery for a hernia but was told that I would have a wait of at least six months, that I would be left with a four-inch scar and would need three months to recuperate. It didn't sound very appealing.

By chance, I met up with Dr Paul Smith from the Bangkok International Medical Centre at a Thai festival - my wife is from Thailand - and he told me that many patients travel there for surgery from different parts of the world. To have the operation privately in the UK would cost £1,850, but it would be the same operation as I had been offered on the NHS. Smith told me that in Bangkok I would be able to have my hernia fixed using a more modern technique that would leave only a tiny scar, and I wouldn't need such a long recuperation period.

My wife and I flew to Thailand, had one night in a hotel and were then driven to the hospital. I had a four-hour operation that afternoon, and spent five days in the hospital. It was modern and clean - very different from what I'd experienced in a UK hospital. My room was like in a four-star hotel: a balcony and big-screen TV with UK channels. All the doctors and nurses on my floor spoke excellent English, and my wife was allowed to stay in my room with me.

I've been left with a tiny scar and after just a fortnight I felt well enough to go back to work. The total price for the operation and hospital stay was £2,200, and we paid £650 for each of our flights.

Dental treatment, Hungary
Johnny Fincham, 43,

I lost a lot of teeth in an incident many years ago, and the result was that my roots became infected. I was told that I would need a big plastic denture plate or a bridge and some titanium implants. It was a huge job, and the cheapest quote I got from anyone in the UK was £10,500.

I started looking for somewhere abroad and found the Kreative Dental laboratory in Budapest. My treatment is taking place over two "holidays" - I was there for 10 days a few weeks ago, and I've got another week there later this month. It's not exactly a fun vacation - my hotel is about a four-minute walk from the clinic, and I spend a lot of time there having the titanium inserts inserted and root-canal treatment.

The surgery isn't a pristine establishment but Attila the dentist is very reassuring and very good - I know I'm safe there.

The final bill will be around £5,000, plus the flights at around £100 a time, and the hotel at €30 a night. And if anything goes wrong - if the implants are rejected, for example - I will be flown back free of charge to have them replaced.

Tests for diabetes, Spain
Pam Deaville

Last year, when my diabetes became poorly controlled, I needed a full overhaul of my medication and treatment. The waiting time for the outpatient appointment I needed was six months. But I have links with the University of Navarra in Pamplona, so I had the idea of going to Spain to get the tests done quickly. It was very simple to organise - I phoned the university hospital, where the switchboard operators speak good English, and asked to be put through to the relevant departments.

I had a general check-up at 10am on the first day, and the doctor decided what further tests were needed. I had all of these by 4pm the following day, and flew home with the results.

My GP was very happy with what I had done and, on the basis of the information provided by the tests, he has changed my medication. The hospital is keen to welcome UK nationals whose treatment is being undertaken as a self-paying patient or using an insurance payout. I'm feeling a lot better now - it was well worth the journey for me.

Hip replacement on the NHS, Belgium
Dorothy Richardson, 79

I had been waiting two years for the operation, and my life was a misery. I was in a lot of pain and couldn't even walk down the road. When I got a letter out of the blue saying that there was a project to take NHS patients to Belgium for surgery and would I be interested, I couldn't get on the phone quickly enough.

I met the Belgian surgeon at Lewisham hospital. He spoke good English and confirmed that I would be ideal for the project. About three weeks later I was on board a Eurostar with my daughter - the NHS paid for me but she had to pay for herself - headed to Roeselare hospital in Belgium.

I was admitted to the hospital that afternoon - a lovely place, really clean and very helpful nurses - and my operation was at 9.30am the next morning. I had an epidural anaesthetic because of my age, and then spent 10 days having physiotherapy to help my recovery - and that was marvellous, too.

Heart surgery, Germany
Bob Couch, 80

People told me that I was brave to fly abroad for major surgery at my age, but the way I saw it, I didn't have any choice. I had a triple bypass six years ago, and a few months ago I found out that a valve was blocked. I was told by a doctor that I could keel over at any moment, but I couldn't have my operation for between two and seven months.

It wasn't a very pleasant thing to hear. I looked into taking the private route but found out that that would cost as much as £14,000 - then I saw an advert for Treatment Choices. I called them, was put in touch with a surgeon in Germany and he said that he would do the operation for £10,000 and I could fly out tomorrow.

I left a week later. My wife and I went straight from the airport to hospital, where I was admitted, and she was given a lovely guest room. Everyone was very supportive and they did all the necessary pre-op tests in one morning. The operation was more complicated than expected but it went well and after five days in the rehabilitation centre I flew home feeling better and very relieved. I'm now walking at least a mile a day and feeling great - my surgeon emails virtually every day with advice and to hear how I'm getting on.

Breast enlargement, South Africa
Katie Lewin, 43

I work out a lot and, though I'm very happy with my body, it meant that I had almost lost my breasts: I wouldn't have minded if I was an A cup, but mine were even smaller. I shopped around for breast enlargement surgery - I felt it was the thing for me - and I came across Surgical Attractions, who organise cosmetic surgery in South Africa. I spoke to the surgeon on the phone, and he said I sounded like a good candidate - though you have to accept that if you arrive there and he's got any worries about going ahead, you can't have the operation.

In my case, all went to plan: I was met at the airport by a companion who helped me with everything, and went to the clinic the next day for the surgery, which was a day case. I recovered quickly with a few days at the guest house and when I was feeling up to it, I had a look around Cape Town, saw the waterfront and did some shopping. I've come back feeling great and looking healthy - and I spent £2,500 all-in, whereas in Jersey, where I live, I'd have had to spend around £3,500 on the surgery alone. But for me, money wasn't the issue - I wanted to recover away from home and in the sun.

Heart tests, India
Ben Simons (not his real name), 52

I had been feeling breathless and generally unwell so I went for a check-up. My doctor recommended heart tests - he said I needed an angiogram to make sure my arteries weren't blocked, and that if they were, I would need treatment. I was pretty worried, especially when I was told that I would have to wait several months to get these tests. Then someone told me about Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai, India, where they had been a patient. They said it was a wonderful place, and when I looked on the website I found I could have an angiogram for very little money.

Even taking the travel and inconvenience into account, it was worth it. I flew to India for a few days and had not only the angiogram but a full top-to-toe health check, all for £65. Altogether I spent less than £500, including travel and accommodation.

Fortunately, the angiogram showed no serious problems - I was given the result on a disc, which I took to my GP in London (he didn't seem that surprised at what I had done) and I was prescribed medication. I felt good that I had taken the whole thing into my own hands - everyone at Hinduja was very professional, and it was all over with very quickly.

Back surgery, Belgium
Penny Painting, 59

I had had back problems and they got worse on holiday in Australia. The specialist I saw there said I needed an operation to free a trapped nerve, so I phoned ahead to my GP and went home in excruciating pain. I was referred to the Frenchay hospital in Bristol and saw a doctor who confirmed I was an urgent case, but said that I would have to wait six weeks for an MRI scan. He also told me that I could end up paralysed if something wasn't done about it.

I was distraught, but they kept putting off the surgery - in the end, they said it could be six months, or even 12. I was so fed up I started thinking about private options but was told it would cost as much as £8,000. Then a friend saw an advert for Treatment Choices, who put you in touch with hospitals abroad, and I phoned and found out I could have my operation in Belgium for as little as £3,165.

Last May, I flew to Brussels where I was met at the airport and driven to the hospital. I was admitted and Ray, my partner, was put up in a B&B nearby for £20 a night. The afternoon we arrived I saw a neurosurgeon and I had more x-rays. The operation took place at 10am the next morning. They removed a piece of bone from the disc in my back that was trapping the nerve, and I spent eight days in hospital.

Everyone in Belgium was fantastic - they all spoke perfect English - I had physiotherapy every day, and was well looked after. My GP was very supportive of the whole thing: he says he spends half his time trying to organise treatment for patients in hospitals outside the Bristol area because of the waiting lists. My back is fine now, but if I ever had more trouble I would go straight back to Belgium.