NHS waiting lists force Britons to save up to pay for private healthcare, says report

NHS waiting lists mean most people in the UK now expect to have to spend money on private healthcare for routine services, new research has found.

For the first time an annual budget of £200 has been included in the minimum income standard produced by Loughborough University and the Joseph Rowntree Foundtion (JRF).

Charity JRF, which funds the research, says its shows the public feel they can longer count on the NHS, and warn for the millions who don’t reach the minimum income standard “no spare cash to pay for treatment and little prospect of accessing necessary treatment before their conditions deteriorate.”

The news comes as the NHS’ waiting list hit 7.62 million treatments with 6.39 million patients waiting for care.

The research calculates a minimum income standard for living by adding up the costs of goods and services that the publicbelieve are needed to participate in society.

Peter Matejic, chief analyst at JRF, said: “In previous years it would have been unthinkable that cash to pay for health treatments would be necessary for a minimum standard of living. But, this research shows that the public feel they can no longer count on the NHS to provide a universal service that’s free at the point of delivery because some NHS services are now so difficult to access.”

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Source: The Independent, 1 September 2024