Report says Britons spend more than rest of Europe on health and beauty

British consumers spend more than their European counterparts on health and beauty despite the presence of the NHS, a new survey has found.

The European Health and Beauty Retailers report compiled by Verdict Research discovered that people in the UK spend an average of 375 euros (299 pounds) each per year.

This tops spenders in France (327 euros each), Italy (305 euros) and Germany (289 euros), the Press Association reports.

“The British are certainly happy to splash out on looking good,” saud Carol Ratcliffe, retail analyst at Verdict Research.

According to the report, the high level of spending by British consumers is because of a wide product selection which is easy to access.

In addition, there is an appetite for upmarket and innovative products, the study found.

Verdict Research compiles reports on topics for various sectors, such as homeware retailers and accessories retailing.

And in other UK health news, it was announced this week that progress is being made by the NHS in the area of diabetes care.

The Department of Health said it was focussing more on prevention and identifying diabetes at an earlier stage in those who were unaware of having the condition.