Karen Woodley, Head of Healthcare Distribution, commented on the latest NHS waiting times, which show that waiting lists have increased.
“After a period of falling waiting times, a rise in the latest figures shows the scale of the challenge the NHS faces. Our own data found that 49% of people expect waiting times to increase, and for the 7.22 million patients still waiting for care, the picture is made more complicated by another junior doctors' strike due to begin next week. There are reasons for optimism given the ground gained earlier this year, but for many patients the reality is still a long and uncertain wait.
The fact that demand for private healthcare continues to grow even as waiting times fall speaks to how people now view it, not as an alternative to the NHS but as a permanent part of how they manage their health. With the sector on course to approach one million PMI-funded treatments annually, it is clear that for many, having that cover in place is about reducing the pressure of an open-ended wait and supporting a faster road to recovery, whatever the figures are doing.”