NHS Waiting Times
Private health insurance has never been seen as a replacement for the NHS. The NHS is a fantastic asset to our country and provides many services private healthcare cannot, such as accident and emergency and maternity services.
However, private health insurance does offer faster and sometimes more convenient access to diagnosis and treatment in a private bed, which is the reason most people choose to have private health cover.
The NHS is committed to providing healthcare to everyone and at times can struggle to cope with that demand. Never in the history of the NHS has the demand been as great as it is today.
Based on the latest figures*, the number of people in England waiting to start hospital treatment has risen to a new record high.
- According to NHS England a total of 4.95 million people were waiting to start treatment at the end of March 2021, this is the highest number since records began in August 2007.
- In March 2021, the number of people having to wait more than 52 weeks to start hospital treatment stood at 436,127, the most for any calendar month since August 2007, when the figure stood at 578,682.
- In March 2020, the number having to wait more than 52 weeks to start treatment stood at just 3,097.
- Health officials have warned it could be four years before waiting times on the NHS return to pre-covid levels, meaning private health insurance is more valuable than ever. It allows individuals to bypass the delays within the NHS by providing fast access to a private consultant, diagnostic tests and in-patient treatment if required.
* figures accurate as of January 2022