Overburdened NHS Pushes More Brits To Go Private

The NHS is being pushed beyond its limits, following years of cuts, staffing shortages and the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic. Patients now face long waiting times for medical procedures and even ambulances in cases of emergency. This state of crisis is pushing more and more people to turn towards private health insurance.

Data from Statista’s Consumer Insights shows how the share of UK adults using health insurance has nearly doubled in the past year. Where the percentage of adults paying for private health insurance hovered at roughly the 12 percent mark since 2019, in the latest survey wave, ending in December 2022, the figure had climbed to 22 percent.