10 July 2023
With NHS waiting lists getting ever longer, it’s perhaps not surprising that people who may never have considered “going private” are now being pushed to explore private healthcare alternatives, unveiling a complex challenge within the healthcare system.
NHS waiting lists in England have climbed to a record level, according to new figures that show 7.47 million patients were waiting to start routine hospital treatment at the end of May, up from 7.42 million at the end of April.
The growing list includes 416,000 children waiting to start treatment – up 9.7 per cent in just one month, and including 21,282 who have been waiting more than a year.
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health president Camilla Kingdon said it is “unacceptable” and “unfathomable” to have so many children waiting so long.
The Independent Newspaper recently ran a series of articles highlighting the personal misery that some people were facing.
In Hertfordshire, Holly, a 29-year-old woman, experienced excruciating ear pain during her pregnancy. Despite her attempts to seek help within the NHS, Holly faced extended waiting times and inconclusive advice as reported to I news, “I went back [to the GP’s] to speak to another nurse and was given an ear spray but she couldn’t confirm it was safe to use when pregnant, saying it was a grey area.” The relentless pain led her to make the difficult decision to pay for a private appointment, shelling out a substantial £520 for the relief she desperately needed.
Norwich resident Sophie, 41, found herself in a similar predicament. After a private ultrasound revealed concerning issues, she faced a prolonged wait for a vital hysteroscopy procedure within the NHS. The financial burden of opting for private healthcare amounted to around £2,500, prompting a reflection on the accessibility and efficiency of public healthcare.
These distressing individual stories are part of a wider trend reflected in a YouGov study which highlighted that:
One significant factor amplifying these delays is the series of healthcare professionals’ strikes, initiated to advocate for improved pay and working conditions. The strikes, which commenced in December, have created a ripple effect, disrupting scheduled NHS bookings and exacerbating an already overburdened healthcare system. More than a million scheduled appointments have had to be rescheduled. The consequences are far-reaching, impacting patients, their families, and the healthcare workforce.
These stories underscore the urgent need for a solution. At Medmin, we recognise the pressing demand for affordable and efficient healthcare, we are working to make healthcare more accessible for self-pay patients and helping doctors work more effectively and efficiently. It is likely that future healthcare will need to involve a hybrid model of both the public and private sector.