There were a record number of private medical admissions in the first half of 2023 as the NHS waiting list rose and people struggled to access primary care services.
Figures from the Private Health Information Network (PHIN) show there were 443,000 admissions during this six month period, a 7 per cent increase on the same period the year before, and a 13 per cent increase on the period two years ago, before the pandemic caused significant disruption to NHS services.
This increase has been driven by a significant rise in the number of insurance-funded admissions, which made up almost seven out of 10 (69 per cent) of the total treatments in the first six months of 2022. The number of insurance admissions rose 12 per cent year-on-year, compared to a slight decline in self-pay treatments.
Broadstone head of health and protection Brett Hill says: “As NHS waiting lists continue to swell, we are seeing a direct knock-on impact in the private healthcare market.
“Admissions in the first half of 2023 are at record levels and are primarily driven by the private medical insurance market, demonstrating the growing awareness among UK employers that they need to find ways to fund the healthcare needs of their workforce.
“There is usually a dip in admissions in Q2 which we saw again this year, but private admissions were still up across all UK nations compared to the same quarter in 2022 and we expect to see further strong growth in the insurance market through the rest of this year and beyond.”
He adds: “As employers continue to face a battle against economic inactivity because of long-term ill-health, provision of employer-funded healthcare is also expected to increase, helping more employees access the healthcare they need to stay active and productive in the workplace.
“The self-pay market appears to have reached a ceiling with levels plateauing around 20,000 admissions a quarter higher, on average, than pre-pandemic. It indicates a strong appetite for people to fund their own healthcare in the face of our ongoing public health crisis.”
