How much do people know about private healthcare?

Our research shows that there are still significant gaps in the public’s understanding of private healthcare.

Only around half of people (55%) say they are familiar with the range of treatments available privately, with a similar proportion (56%) reporting they are familiar with how to access private healthcare, how to pay (50%) and the quality of care available (59%) – all largely comparable with last year’s results.

There has been a small increase in the proportion of people saying they are familiar with the costs of private treatment at 41% up from 36% the previous year. However, when asked how much it would cost to access certain services through private healthcare. A GP appointment – typical actual cost between £40 and £200 – was correctly priced by around 65% of respondents (with just 16% stating that they didn’t have any idea of the cost). For a more complex procedure – a CT Scan – there is much less agreement on price. Just 24% of respondents placed this procedure in its true price range (£430-£910).

Just 49% of people say they would know where to go for more information on going private. Therefore when it comes to finding out about private healthcare services, personal recommendations from friends and family continue to be the most significant source of information, closely followed by information gained from a person’s employer.