The end of October 2022 saw a record 7.2 million patients waiting for routine NHS treatment in England. This figure is up from 6.8 million at the end of July 2022. As well as this, NHS targets aim for at least 95% of patients attending A&E to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. This has not been met nationally since 2015. In fact, in October only 69.3% of patients were seen within four hours.
Danielle Jefferies, from the King’s Fund, said: “The latest figures show an NHS bursting at the seams as services head into winter struggling to meet sharply rising demand while keeping patients safe.”
The NHS aims for a maximum waiting time for non-urgent, consultant-led treatments of 18 weeks. However, according to Sky News, 387,257 patients have been waiting for over a year.
NHS waiting lists show little sign of slowing. So it is no surprise that 53% of people in the UK stated they would invest in private health insurance.
Private medical insurance could allow you to avoid these long waiting lists and receive faster access to treatment. You could get your choice of hospital and clinician, and even access to treatments that the NHS does not provide. Get your free, no-obligation quote today to compare some of the top health insurance quotes suitable for your circumstances.
Now is the best time to compare your medical insurance options as some policies exclude preexisting conditions. Therefore, you should consider the merits while you are healthy. That way, if you need treatment you can have peace of mind knowing that you are covered without the record-long wait times.
Posted in: Family Health Insurance