The Northeast of England has been identified as a regional ‘black spot’ where access to private hospital facilities can be limited; with only 19 private hospitals and 48 total facilities listed by providers in this area, according to consumer group Fairer Finance.
The research emphasises the ongoing North-South divide in the UK and is based on hospital lists of leading private medical insurance (PMI) companies. There is a significant shortage in the Northeast, with just 19 private hospitals out of 48 facilities reported.
This translates to 0.72 private hospitals per 100,000 people, which is significantly less than the 1.12 in the Southeast. But the Northeast ranks fourth among all UK regions for private admissions over the last year, trailing behind only London, the Southeast, and the East of England, according to the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN).
Southeast England, on the other hand, has 113 private facilities, second only to London. London has 406 facilities, including diagnostic centres and clinics, more than any other city. Scotland has the fewest private hospitals per capita of any region, with only 16 to serve 100,000 people. This is because the country has a smaller population than any other.
In the UK, the number of policyholders for private medical insurance (PMI) has reached a record 5.8 million, the most since 2008 with 18 to 64-year-olds’ personal PMI coverage climbing from 17 per cent in March 2022 to 26 per cent in September 2023, while their participation in company schemes went from 21 per cent to 28 per cent during the same period.
This trend is especially evident in areas where there are already discrepancies in hospital care; for example, between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023, in-patient admissions increased by 28 per cent in Northern Ireland and 9 per cent in Scotland, above the 4 per cent growth observed in England and Wales.
Fairer Finance managing director James Daley says: “The consumer appetite for private medical insurance has been growing rapidly in recent years as more people have decided to hedge their healthcare while the NHS continues to struggle. Although this boom in demand is a great opportunity for the industry, it’s also a precarious moment for consumers – many of whom have never bought this insurance before and may not fully comprehend the nuances of coverage offered.
“PMI policies vary enormously in terms of the conditions covered and treatments offered, and this latest research shows that geography also has a massive bearing on availability of care facilities. London and the Southeast of England have the lion’s share of private hospitals in the UK, but coverage is much thinner elsewhere.
“It’s important that providers clearly explain these limitations to customers before they buy a health insurance policy – so that customers understand exactly what they’re buying.”