NHS waits push patients to pay for private treatment

People are being forced into paying thousands of pounds for private treatment due to long NHS waiting times.

There were nearly seventy thousand self-funded treatments in the UK in the final three months of last year – a 39% rise from the same period before the pandemic. A sign of how desperate people have become, experts say.

The BBC has seen evidence of people resorting to crowdfunding and taking out loans to pay for private treatment.

The numbers from the Private Healthcare Information Network do not include those with private insurance. They are, in fact, people paying the full cost of treatment themselves, leaving them responsible for huge bills.

The number of people paying for care surpassed 250,000 last year. For common operations like knee and hip replacements, the cost can be at least £15,000.

Patient groups warned that there was the possibility of a two-tier system being established, with the poorest losing out because they were less likely to be able to afford treatment.

There are now over 6.6 million people still waiting for hospital treatment in England – 1 in 9 of the population – and ministers have warned it could be 2024 before the numbers start decreasing.

More than a third of patients needing treatment have been waiting more than 18 weeks, the target time. Similar problems are being seen in other parts of the UK.

Waits for treatment were one of the most common concerns highlighted by patients, said patient watchdog Healthwatch England, and warned the situation risked “widening health inequalities”. Louise Ansari, chief executive, said for most people going private “simply isn’t an option”, particularly with the cost of living crisis. People on the lowest incomes are the most likely to wait the longest for NHS treatment. This leads to a worse impact on their physical health, mental health and ability to work and care for loved ones.”

Jonathon Holmes of the King’s Fund health think tank stated, “The risk is we’re left with a two-tier system where some people have to wait too long for care, and others feel forced to bust the bank to get the care they need.”