Half of millennials are planning to use private healthcare in the next year, research has found, as young professionals opt for jobs with medical insurance.
A survey of 2,000 British adults found that those aged 34-44 were the most likely to go private; 49 per cent said they were likely to use it in the next 12 months.
The report by the Independent Healthcare Provider Network, a representative body, highlighted a shift away from the NHS and towards private healthcare among younger generations, who increasingly expect it to be provided as a perk by their employers.
Two thirds agreed that “all workplaces should offer private healthcare as part of their employee benefits package” and experts said offering medical insurance was essential for firms to “attract the brightest and the best” workers.
Seven in ten 18 to 24-year-olds said they would be more likely to apply for a job if it offered private health insurance. The proportion of the age group who used insurance to pay for private treatment has increased from 31 per cent in 2023 to 55 per cent this year.
Overall, across all age groups, 71 per cent of people said they would be willing to consider going private instead of using the NHS, up from 64 per cent two years ago.
The shift in attitude is greatest among younger age groups who place a greater value on flexibility, convenience and personalised healthcare.
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Difficulties getting an NHS appointment was cited as the main reason for using private healthcare by nearly half of people. One in ten people who have used private healthcare said they did so because their NHS appointment was cancelled or postponed.
Danielle Henry, director of policy at Independent Healthcare Provider Network, said: “Our latest research shows an increasing openness among all parts of society to using private healthcare, with working-aged adults viewing it as particularly vital in their lives.
“This reflects not only the greater value that younger people are placing on their health and wellbeing, but also the ability of private healthcare providers to deliver the more convenient, high-quality and personalised care that this group is demanding.
“The research also makes clear that while challenges in accessing NHS care continues to be a key motivator, the growing prevalence of employers providing private medical insurance to their staff at all levels is now cited as a key reason for more people going private.
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“And with a significant majority of people saying that all workplaces should offer private healthcare as part of their employee benefits package, there is a clear role for employers to play in making it easier for people to access the healthcare they need, as well as helping attract the brightest and the best workers.”
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The value of the UK’s private healthcare market has grown to a record £12.4 billion, as the NHS outsources more than £3 billion of care to private hospitals to help speed up waiting lists.
Some 16.4 million people in the UK are now covered by some kind of private health scheme, up from 13.5 million before the pandemic, according to analysis by LaingBuisson.
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has said that younger people are “opting out” of the NHS and going private, which “presents an existential risk to the health service”.
Wes Streeting, centre, with Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
In a speech this summer, he said: “More than any other age group, this generation of young people are prepared to opt out of the NHS.
“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?
“A failure to modernise risks this generation walking away from the NHS, first for their healthcare and then with their taxes.”
One of those to use private insurance due to long NHS waits is Nathalie Becherel. The 41-year-old was told by her GP she would have to wait six months to get a scan on the NHS after developing worrying lumps and bumps on her arm, leg and abdomen.
Anxious that the lumps could be cancer, Becheral chose to use private medical insurance so she could get seen straight away, and had an ultrasound scan at Wellsoon private healthcare service in High Wycombe.
Becheral, from Seer Green, Buckinghamshire, said: “The diagnostics team were amazing and reassured me quickly that the lumps in question were not tumours, but caused by fatty tissue. They told me they were not harmful and could be removed via an operation in the future if they were bothering me. To be honest, I was just relieved I didn’t have cancer and was so grateful to everyone who helped me at the clinic.
“I would certainly recommend anyone currently experiencing a long wait for an NHS scan to claim on their health cover if they have it, or pay for a private diagnostics appointment for a speedier ultrasound and added peace of mind.”