A record number of Britons are leaving the NHS and going private.long delays.
Figures show that around 664,000 people in the UK sought private treatment in the first nine months of 2023.
It marks a seven percent increase from the previous record of 618,000 set during the same period in 2022.
Long waits for routine NHS procedures have been blamed for this growing trend, with 7.6 million now in the queue.
Experts fear the £150bn-a-year service is only going to get worse, stuck in an “eternal winter” amid a staff exodus, Covid-induced delays and strikes.
Around 664,000 people in the UK sought private treatment in the first nine months of 2023. This marks a seven per cent increase on the previous record of 618,000 set during the same period in 2022.
Third trimester cataract surgery was the most popular private procedure (17,300), followed by chemotherapy (14,500). New research, published in Lancet Oncology, revealed last week that cancer survival rates in the UK are 15 years behind other major countries due to a lack of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Hip and knee replacements and epidural injections were other highly sought-after options.
The data comes from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN), which shares information on private treatment performance and rates.
The increase in demand for paid care is driven by the continued growth of insured treatments: almost 138,000 in the third quarter of 2023, compared to 127,000 registered during the same period in 2022.
Experts say this is because more businesses and households are turning to healthcare plans to safeguard employee health as access to NHS treatment becomes more difficult.
Self-funded entries, however, fell to their lowest levels since before the pandemic, down 1,000 in the third quarter compared to 2022.
Experts predicted a reduction in private cosmetic treatments in the UK could be behind the drop, amid a rise in Brits traveling abroad for liposuction, breast augmentation and “Brazilian butt lifts”.
Richard Wells, who manages PHIN’s data team, said: “Cosmetic surgery, which is mainly paid for by self-payment, could be a factor in the reduction in admissions paid for that way.
‘Procedures including breast augmentation, breast implants and rhinoplasty decreased in the same quarter in 2022.
“With widespread reports of people traveling abroad for these types of surgeries, this may be impacting the number of people choosing to pay for these treatments themselves in the UK.”
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Martin Wild was admitted to Salford Royal Hospital last year after developing a spinal infection following a private operation. 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 nearby patients were also screaming and asking for help.
At one point, Mr Wild, who also suffers from Parkinson’s, told his wife: “If I’m going to die in this hospital, let it be soon.” A doctor who evaluated 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 overseas can be very attractive, especially when combined with a slightly warmer climate.
“But while many countries in Europe and elsewhere have excellent healthcare systems, we caution people to make sure they do their research before making any decisions.”
Third trimester cataract surgery was the most popular private procedure (17,300), followed by chemotherapy (14,500).
New research, published in Lancet Oncology, revealed last week that cancer survival rates in the UK are 15 years behind other major countries due to a lack of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Hip and knee replacements and epidural injections were other popular options.
This is despite some treatments costing more than £15,000. Some providers offer pay monthly deals.
PHIN analysts now expect the total number of people opting for healthcare in 2023 to exceed 836,000 admissions to private hospitals in 2022.
“It would be very unexpected if hospital admissions in the private healthcare sector did not reach record levels in 2023, when all the data is collected and analyzed,” Wells said.
He added: “Following rapid growth in self-pay following the pandemic, private health insurance has firmly re-established itself as the main payment method for private healthcare and is, in fact, now more popular than before the pandemic. pandemic”.
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It comes as the Government was today warned of real terms cuts to the NHS ahead of the spring budget.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the health service could see a 1.2 per cent reduction in daily spending in England despite ministers promising not to reduce the healthcare budget.
The latest figures also show that 91,048 appointments were canceled last week after five days of strike action by junior doctors.
The doctors, who have already carried out 10 rounds of action, are still waiting to restart talks with the Government as the dispute over salaries continues. They are also voting for more strikes.
However, the striking consultants will be offered a new deal following extensive talks with ministers, which could end their current pay dispute.
BMA consultants voted narrowly, with a 51 per cent majority, to reject the Government’s latest pay offer.