Going Private 2025
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Why do people go private?
The inability to access an NHS appointment in a timely manner continues to be the most significant reason for people to use private healthcare, with 46% of people citing this.
That said, there has also been a significant increase in the number of people saying they went private because they have Private Medical Insurance (24% vs 20% last year), or to get more “personalised care” (24% vs 17% last year) – suggesting flexibility and convenience is becoming just as important as access.
As mentioned above, it is also worth noting that more than 1 in 10 people who have used private healthcare say they did so because their NHS appointment was cancelled or postponed.
Among people who have not – or would not – choose private healthcare, cost is perhaps unsurprisingly by far the most significant factor, with more than 50% of respondents saying that they could not afford it. Only around a quarter of people who would not be open to private healthcare say it’s because they do not approve of it in principle.