More than 7mn people are waiting for NHS treatment in England. So it’s not surprising that the number paying privately for operations and treatments in the UK has risen by more than a third since the pandemic started.
The cost of living crisis is driving a shift away from private health insurance, according to research by the Private Healthcare Information Network, which publishes performance and fees information about private consultants and hospitals.
The numbers treated through private health insurance in 2022 were just below 550,000 — 30,000 fewer than three years ago. By contrast, 272,000 used their own money to pay for treatments, such as knee or eye surgery — up from 199,000 in 2019.
When it comes to paying for private healthcare, how do you decide which option is best? Are you sticking with your health insurance, or have you decided that it is too expensive? Do you find fewer medical complaints are covered? If you’ve decided to self-pay, how do you fund it? Would you be prepared to take out a loan?
We would love to hear from you. Please email moira.o’neill@ft.com with your views, or to share your experience. All messages will be treated as confidential, unless you specify otherwise.
