People considering travelling abroad in order to receive medical treatment may not realise that their insurance could well be invalidate, it has been suggested.

An adviser from healthcare company Private Healthcare UK has suggested that this is a "significant problem" because many consumers are unaware that their insurance will not pay out if they are travelling for medical purposes.

Keith Pollard, managing director of Intuition Communication, which owns the website, reminded travellers: "If you are travelling abroad for treatment [and] take out regular travel insurance, it is invalid."

"A lot of people travel with regular travel insurance, not realising that they have invalidated it.

"It doesn't matter whether you lose your luggage or smash up a hire car; you have no insurance, you can't use it."

Mr Pollard suggested investigating specialist insurers in order to make sure that you are covered for your trip.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from specialist travel insurer Milsom Howard asserted that premiums have been "constantly driven down" in recent years in spite of increased treatment costs.