Pandemic has accelerated demand for private healthcare, report finds

More UK adults are seeking private healthcare as poor access to care exacerbated by the pandemic threatens to create a two tier system, a report has warned.1

Research by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank found that the long term decline in NHS access and quality had been rapidly accelerated by covid-19, prompting more people to purchase private health insurance or pay for treatment.

Polling by IPPR and YouGov for the report found that of 3466 UK adults surveyed, almost a third (31%) struggled to access the care they needed during the pandemic. Of these, almost one in eight (12%) used …