The number of people seeking private medical treatment reached record levels at the start of this year, driven by an “unprecedented” rise in the number of insurance claims.
Figures from the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) showed there were 238,000 private hospital admissions from January to March this year — higher than any previous quarter on record.
An “unprecedented” number of these admissions were paid for using private medical insurance (PMI), rather than being funded directly by the patient, via self-pay options.
The biggest increases came in the 20-29 and 30-39 year-old age groups, which were both up by 13 per cent.
This follows a survey, published yesterday, which found that almost half of those in their 20s and 30s would pay for healthcare rather than wait for treatment on the NHS. The survey by the Independent Hospital Providers Network found that almost a third of this age group had previously used private treatment – either paying themselves or through an insurance policy.
Broadstone client consulting director Emily Jones says: “Following a record 2023, private health admissions continued to surge through the first three months of 2024 to further all-time highs as the NHS crisis pushes hundreds of thousands of patients private. It seems inevitable that we will soon be seeing over a million private health admissions every year.
“It is little surprise that this trend is being almost entirely driven by private medical insurance as employers recognise the threat of poor health which has manifested itself in soaring economic inactivity figures.
“As a consequence, our clients have elevated healthcare to a board level priority as they look to rapidly expand coverage of PMI and put in place preventative steps like access to virtual GPs, direct access services and on-site health screenings.
“These strategies aim to help employees catch health issues earlier and then ensure the rapid treatment needed to avoid to more complex, expensive treatments. Until NHS waiting lists come down significantly, we expect to see continued corporate investment in private healthcare solutions to support the wellbeing of their staff.”