Private healthcare is increasingly being seen as ‘essential’ for younger working-age people, new research has found — with half of 35 to 44 year olds expecting to pay for treatment in the coming year.
The data comes from the latest report from the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN).
Its report found that people of all ages are increasingly looking to their employers for access to private healthcare – almost two thirds (62 per cent) of people believe all workplaces should offer private healthcare as part of their employee benefits package.
This is a sentiment felt particularly strongly amongst young people with almost seven in 10 18-24 year olds saying they would be more likely to apply for a new job if it offered private health insurance.
Previous reports by IHPN found it was those aged under 30 who were most likely to consider using private healthcare, but it is now most prevalent among this 35-44 group, where 49% said they expected to use private healthcare within the next 12 months. This is a 10 percentage point increase when compared to the same survey last year.
Overall the report found that “going private” is becoming increasingly normalised across all parts of society, with over 7 in 10 people saying they would consider using private healthcare — a jump of almost 10 per cent in two years.
The research – conducted by polling agency Public First – also shows a willingness to use private healthcare across all socio-economic groups.
Seven in 10 people working in skilled manual occupations (“C2 grade”) and six in 10 unskilled manual workers (“DE” Grades) would consider private healthcare – a jump of 6 per cent and 10 per cent respectively in the last two years.
The challenges in accessing NHS appointments continues to be a key motivator for accessing private services — cited by almost half of people who have paid for treatment. The data also showed that one in four people say they went private because they have medical insurance, with the same proportion stating it was to get more personalised care.
Overall, patient satisfaction with going private remains very high with almost nine in 20 people who have accessed private healthcare – whether through insurance or having paid for it themselves – saying it was value for money.
IHPN chief executive David Hare says “Now in its third year, our latest “Going Private” survey continues to show a growing openness amongst all parts of society to using private healthcare, with working aged adults viewing it as particularly vital in accessing the speedy and high-quality care they need.
“Whilst a decade or two ago it may have been seen as the preserve of the “rich”, it’s now clear that private healthcare is becoming ever more relevant to people’s everyday lives, with the increasing numbers of employers who are providing private medical insurance to their staff proving a particular driver in encouraging more people to ‘go private’.
“It’s of course hugely welcome to see the overwhelming majority of people who use private healthcare saying it represented value for money, and with a significant majority of people saying that all workplaces should offer private healthcare as part of their employee benefits package, there is an ever clearer role that employers could play in making it easier for people to access the healthcare they need.”