A survey by the Independent Healthcare Provider Network has found that half of millennials in the UK are planning to use private healthcare within the next year. The research shows that people aged 34 to 44 are the most likely age group to go private, with 49 per cent saying they expect to do so in the next 12 months.
The findings point to a broader shift, with young professionals increasingly seeking employment that includes medical insurance. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that this move towards private provision presents an “existential risk” to the NHS, saying: “The NHS feels increasingly slow and outdated to the generation that organises their lives at the touch of a button. If you get annoyed at Deliveroo not getting your dinner to you in less than an hour, how will you feel being told to wait a year for a knee operation?”
According to the survey, the main reason for going private is difficulty getting an NHS appointment, cited by nearly half of respondents. One in ten said they had had an NHS appointment cancelled or postponed, prompting them to seek care elsewhere.
The NHS currently outsources nearly £3.5bn of procedures to private hospitals in an effort to reduce waiting lists. However, the trend among younger patients raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the universal healthcare model, as those who opt out may become less willing to fund it through taxation.
