Record numbers of Brits are now ditching the NHS and going privatemedium long delays.
Around 664,000 people in Britain sought private treatment in the first nine months of 2023, figures show.
It represents a jump of seven percent compared to the previous record of 618,000 from the same period in 2022.
Long waits for routine NHS procedures are blamed for the rising trend, with 7.6 million people now in the queue.
Experts fear the £150bn-a-year service will only get worse as it remains stuck in an ‘eternal winter’ amid an exodus of staff, Covid-19-induced backlogs and strikes.
Around 664,000 people in Britain sought private treatment in the first nine months of 2023. This represents a jump of seven percent from the previous record of 618,000 in the same period in 2022.
Cataract surgery was the most popular private procedure in the third quarter (17,300), followed by chemotherapy (14,500). New research published in the Lancet Oncology revealed last week that cancer survival rates in Britain lag 15 years behind other major countries due to a lack of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Hip and knee replacements and epidural injections were other in-demand options
The data comes from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN), which shares information about the performance and reimbursement of private treatments.
The increase in demand for paid care is driven by the continued growth in the number of insured treatments – almost 138,000 in the third quarter of 2023, compared to the 127,000 registered treatments in the same period in 2022.
Experts say this is because more businesses and households are turning to healthcare plans to protect the health of employees as access to NHS treatments becomes more difficult.
However, self-funded admissions fell to their lowest level since before the pandemic, down 1,000 in the third quarter compared to 2022.
Experts predicted that a reduction in the number of private cosmetic treatments in Britain could be behind the decline, amid a wave of Brits traveling abroad for options such as liposuction, breast enlargement and ‘Brazilian butt lifts’.
Richard Wells, who manages PHIN’s data team, said: ‘Cosmetic surgery, which is mainly self-funded, could be a factor in the reduction in the number of admissions paid for in this way.
‘The number of procedures, including breast enlargements, breast implants and rhinoplasties, were all lower than in the same quarter of 2022.
‘With widespread reports of people traveling abroad for such operations, it is possible that this will impact the number of people who choose to pay for these treatments in Britain themselves.’
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Martin Wild was admitted to Salford Royal Hospital last year after suffering a spinal infection following private surgery. The 73-year-old was denied pain relief due to staff shortages and was even left lying in his own urine during his horrific eight-month stay in hospital, he claimed. Other patients nearby also screamed and shouted for help
At one point, Mr Wild, who also has Parkinson’s, told his wife: ‘If I’m going to die in this hospital, let it happen quickly.’ A doctor who examined Mr Wild described him as ‘the most neglected patient I have ever seen’
He added: ‘We think it’s understandable that the appeal of a ‘cheaper’ option abroad can be very attractive, especially when combined with some warmer weather.
‘But while many countries in Europe and beyond have excellent healthcare systems, we would caution people to ensure they do their research before making a decision.’
Cataract surgery was the most popular private procedure in the third quarter (17,300), followed by chemotherapy (14,500).
New research published in the Lancet Oncology revealed last week that cancer survival rates in Britain lag 15 years behind other major countries due to a lack of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Hip and knee replacements and epidural injections were other in-demand options.
This is despite some treatments costing more than £15,000. Some providers offer monthly deals.
PHIN analysts now expect that the total number of people who opted for medical care in 2023 will exceed 836,000 private hospital admissions in 2022.
“It would be very unexpected if hospital admissions in private healthcare do not reach record levels by 2023 when all data is collected and analyzed,” Wells said.
He added: ‘Following rapid growth in self-payment due to the pandemic, private health insurance has once again been firmly established as the primary payment method for private healthcare, and is now even more popular than before the pandemic.’
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It comes as the government was today warned of real cuts to the NHS ahead of the spring budget.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the health service could see a 1.2 percent reduction in daily spending in England, despite ministers vowing not to cut the health budget
The latest figures also show that 91,048 appointments were canceled last week after a five-day doctors’ strike.
The medics, who have now organized ten rounds of action, are still waiting for talks to resume with the government as the pay dispute continues. They also vote for further strikes.
However, striking consultants will be offered a new deal after extensive talks with ministers, which could end their ongoing pay dispute.
BMA advisers narrowly voted by a majority of 51 per cent to reject the government’s latest olive branch wage offer in January.